


Deep Waters

by Shmehua1



Category: Little Witch Academia
Genre: Adulting, Alcohol, Bartenders, Body Worship, College, Drinking, F/F, Fluff, Girl With The Tattoo, Growing Up, Hawaii, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, Self-Insert, Surfer Akko, Whiskey Matters, Work, self indulgent, some smut, such is life
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-29
Updated: 2020-11-09
Packaged: 2021-02-27 08:47:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 50,280
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22014340
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shmehua1/pseuds/Shmehua1
Summary: Diana wanted to have a new adventure, she wanted to bring a little excitement to her boring life. However, she truly had no idea what to expect when she moved from her quite English living to a small island in the middle of the ocean. But that was fine, Diana wanted to be where the wild things were.Akko had one dream and one dream only. To be queen of the ocean, showing her devotion with her surfboard fully in motion. But life's hard, even for someone so simple.
Relationships: Diana Cavendish/Atsuko "Akko" Kagari
Comments: 137
Kudos: 478





	1. Chapter 1

If you had asked Diana years ago if she would be living in Hawaii, the blonde would have given you an icy glare that probably would have chased you away. But as her college years were coming to an end, Diana had to make a decision on Medical Schools. 

For days she researched the best universities all over the United Kingdom, though none of them felt _right_ , she looked through American universities, and still nothing seemed to stick out to her. Her eyes were starting to hurt from staring at her computer screen all day and night. She wanted to find the perfect university, one that would satisfy her educational needs, as well as her personal experience. If she was going to be suffering for years trying to be a doctor, she might as well suffer comfortably. 

One night while she was browsing through brochures and extensive notes about each medical school, she found a picture of her mother and father honeymooning in Hawaii. It seemed they were learning to surf; her mother was expertly sitting on a surfboard laughing at her father who seemed to have seaweed caught in his hair. Diana smiled. Her parents used to always talk about taking her to Hawaii when she grew a bit older. Anytime the subject came up, her parents would speak at great lengths of how much they loved the island chain, and how they were planning to move there as soon as Diana was ready to be on her own.

Sadly, a massive storm and a reckless driver had cut all those talks short by the time Diana was six. Thus, Diana ended up never going to Hawaii, instead she ended up burying herself in school and work. By the time Diana was six, she might as well have been a grown woman finding her own way through life.

Her finger trailed the old polaroid photo. Her parents looked so happy there, and she’s remembered _many_ moments where her parents were undeniably happy.

It wasn’t that hard of a decision after that. Diana quickly decided to attend John A. Woodward Medical school and apply for their pathology program on the Big Island of Hawaii. Of course, she took proper precautions to extensively research the college, it was one of the best medical colleges in America. But not too long after putting in her application, and even before she was accepted, Diana had her bags packed, and searching for flights.

* * *

Honestly, this place was a paradise, but it just wasn’t _home_ for Diana. Sometimes she missed her vain aunt and aloof cousins. It also didn’t help that Diana never had the chance to go out and actually explore the island. Diana prided herself on always being prepared, and always being near perfect, she wasn’t prepared for the onslaught that was medical school. Sure, she did amazing, as per usual, that wasn’t going to change, but the weight of the workload had crashed down on her like no other.

And it was only the beginning of the first semester…

Diana looked out the window of her room for what seemed like the millionth time today. The weather was always beautiful, sunny with a chance of scattered showers throughout the island, but Diana would rather study. It made her feel a little guilty for wasting perfect days inside. ‘Sun guilt’ that’s what people called it. But, more than anything, Diana wanted to succeed in medical school and become a pathologist. Her mother was a great doctor, and so was her father, she would make them proud.

Diana turned back to the Pathology Basics textbook. It’s been hours since she’s turned the page. She loved learning, she loved medical knowledge, the human anatomy… All of it. But lately, she’s been lacking. Lacking in what, she didn’t know, but something was missing. She didn’t have as much as a drive as before, and often found herself exhausted of the world.

“And here we have the elusive Diana Cavendish in her natural habitat.” A faux Australian accent broke Diana’s train of thought. From the corner of her eyes she saw her housemates, Hannah and Barbara, sneaking into her room. “Fascinating.”

“We better watch out Babs, otherwise we’ll spook her.” The two circled around her, crouching down by her desk and bed. “Whatever you do boys and girl you don’t want to touch her- ARE YOU CRAZY?!“

Before Diana could even react, Barbara quickly lunged towards her pathology book, grabbed it and sprinted out of her room.

“Hey!” Diana quickly stood from her desk to chase after the perpetrator when a bikini set was tossed over her face “You, our shut in of a friend, need to get out of this room and photosynthesize.”

“E-Excuse me?” Diana pulled the musty bikini from her face, her cousins had bought it for her before she left for med school, but hasn’t worn it at all. She wondered if it even fit her. 

“Ya know? ‘Photosynthesize? The process by which plants use sunlight to synthesize foods from carbon dioxide and water?” Hannah clarified.

Barbara skipped back in a few seconds later, without any of Diana’s stolen books. “The sad part is, she knows the meaning, but can’t comprehend what we mean by it.” Barbara teased.

Diana rolled her eyes and sighed. “I think I understand your meaning perfectly clear, however, what I don’t understand is how it requires stealing my books, and limiting my studying.”

“Come on Dia, you’re in Hawaii!” Hannah collapsed onto Diana’s bed. “You’ve been here for a whole summer, and have yet to go to the beach, have yet to go hiking, or exploring. You’ve spent the entire time in your room wilting.”

“Medical school is no joke.” Diana grumbled.

“The beach is no joke either.” Barbara added. “And you need to get some beach therapy.”

“I agree.”

Diana looked between her housemates, they usually never ganged up on her. Even when they were kids, and even when Hannah moved away from England to Hawaii when they were in middle school. But However, today seemed to not be her day. She was hardly studying anyways, maybe they were right. Maybe she needed a bit of a break to enjoy the beach. A few months in a place where she perceived held the happiest moments she never got to have with her parents. 

“Come on Diana.” Barbara grabbed the abandoned bikini and placed it nicely on Diana’s desk. “What’s one day of relaxation going to really affect?”

Diana looked down at the bikini, the top was pure white and strapless with a hook on the back, while the bottom was solid teal blue. She didn’t even remember packing it on her way here, her cousins must have snuck it in her suitcase. A few moments passed by, and she wondered if maybe she should just find her textbooks again, but a chance glance at the framed photo of her parents’ honeymoon in Hawaii gave her a different idea.

_Maybe they’re right…_

“Well…” Diana looked back up at the grinning faces of her housemates and smiled. “I guess one day won’t affect much at all.”

After the three had changed into their bikinis and packing some extra supplies, they all jumped into Hannah’s truck. As Diana opened the door to the back seat, she couldn’t help but notice a rather large orange board laying in the bed, with a black paddle.

“It’s a paddle board.” Hannah grinned from the side of the truck. “It’s a good way to relax, and work out.”

“You can surf with this?” Diana studied the board. It was just too big. Was it meant for bigger waves?

“Well, I guess you’ll just have to see.” 

Diana looked up to see Hannah and Barbara already climbing into the car. She already regretted leaving her room.

* * *

“Geeze Hannah, I thought we were going to the beach?” Barbara complained from the back seat. “I feel like we’ve been driving for hours.”

“It’s been 30 minutes actually, and we’re almost there.” 

Diana’s eyes lingered as they drove on a winding road, there were potholes everywhere, and half of the road was dirt. Trees and giant green bushes completely surrounded them, it was like they were going through a tube of lush greenery, and getting lost in a rainforest. Had it not been for the distinct smell of ocean water, Diana would have thought they weren’t anywhere near a body of water. 

This entire place was just the total opposite of the Europe. There were no seasons, it was 80 degrees every day with a chance of scattered showers throughout the island, and a humidity of 100 percent. She’s never seen black sand beaches, which would make sense since it was made from volcanic rocks being eroded. She’s never walked through such lush green rainforest. There were no bears, raccoons, squirrels, even snake were unheard of. The island that Diana lived on was named Hawai’i, but was often referred to as the ‘Big Island’ to avoid confusion with the name of the state. 

When Diana first arrived, she expected a big city, not a small town. Apparently, O’ahu was the city island. The Big Island, was in stark contrast to the way she lived in England. For lack of a better word, it was easy. Laid back. Everyone seemed to be on their own time. There was no hustle and bustle, no big skyscrapers, even the town they lived in wasn’t very big. Hilo was quaint in its own way, filled with buildings still being developed, and buildings dating back to the 1800’s, it wasn’t very big at all. Despite being the biggest island geographically, a person could drive around the entire island in 8 hours tops.

She was lucky that she had Hannah and Barbara here. Hannah moved to the island chain when they were in middles school, and Barbara frequently visited her best friend. Diana was the only one who had never been to Hawaii.

“This place is worth it guys, people hardly come here, and I can guarantee you haven’t seen a beach like this.” Hannah continued as they drove slowly.

The place they were currently in, Diana had never been to. Pahoa. Diana’s never seen so many colors and shades of colors in plants before. The entire island was just filled with life. After a few more turns, they came to an opening, the paved road suddenly became extremely bumpy, and over the sound of ocean waves, Diana heard rocks crunching under the truck wheels.

“We’re here.” Hannah said pulling up in a random spot. In fact, it seemed that the few cars at the beach and were parked in random spaces. 

Diana looked out her window and was surprised to see black sand. She was aware that the Big Island still had an active volcano, and there would be black volcanic rocks everywhere, but she never thought it could cause actual black sand. She immediately jumped out of the truck and was met with smooth black rocks under her feet. A rush of salt air filled her nostrils as the sun kissed her pale skin. It was a good thing she brought sunscreen. 

“Welcome to Pohoiki.” Hannah majestically waved her hands over the scenery. “It’s not a lot, but it does the job.”

A few families played in the water by a stone pier and boat ramp, rows of trees were near the shore line, and there was a giant separate stone pier that seemed to be more for fishing. It was not the typical beach Diana was used to. 

“Come on.” Hannah waved her hand and Diana followed the auburn-haired girl around. Hannah had spoken to great lengths about her time in Hawaii. Although Hannah missed England, she found a second home on the small island. Diana was amazed by how much stories she seemed to have.

“There’s a bunch of hot ponds back there…”

“I saw a shark by the reef there one time…”

“One time a fish hopped onto my board while we were out there, and we ended up cooking it and eating it!”

Diana’s hopes grew with each heard memory. She hoped to create memories of her own in her time here.

The three walked to the bigger stone pier, some fishermen were casting out lines, others were just laying on towels and sleeping under the bright sun. Everyone was so relaxed, and without a care in the world, as if they were on their own time. They came to the end of pier and looked out over the vast ocean that seemed to go on for miles and miles. And it did. Hawaii was one of the most isolated islands in the world. The nearest body of land was more ore less 3,000 miles away. Diana was about to sit down and let her feet dangle off the edge of the pier.

“Ugh! She always does this.” Hannah huffed and pinched the bridge of her nose.

“Looks like Akko’s been here for a while.” Barbara just giggled as Diana gave a concerned look towards a very annoyed Hannah. Barbara must have noticed, because the girl was quick to point out to a surfer out in the ocean, laying on her board, motionless.

 _Akko._ Diana’s heard that name many times before with her conversations with Hannah over the phone. Apparently, they were ‘friends’? However, Hannah never seemed to have anything good to say about the girl. Every now and then there were praises of the girl’s athleticism and surfing skills, but that seemed just about it.

“Someone should probably get her…” Barbara poked Hannah’s shoulder, teasingly. Barbara, however, seemed to see this ‘Akko’ as endearing, and almost comical.

Hannah sighed. “Well… Might as well. Come with me Diana, I’ll show you how a paddle board works.”

There was a little excitement bubbling in Diana’s chest, a bit of a child’s curiosity. So far, everything had blown away her expectations of the island. With a quick nod, she followed Hannah to the truck and grabbed the board. Hannah placed it on top of her head, while the paddle laid on top. They walked towards the smaller stone pier where Hannah slipped the board on the surface of the water.

“Here, give me your ankle.” Hannah pulled at the velcro of a strap connected to the board and opened it. “This is a leash; you attach to your ankle and it keeps the board connected to you just in case you fall off.”

Diana nodded as the auburn girl wrapped the strap around her and hopped into the water. When Hannah emerged from the ocean, she expertly climbed onto the board and stood up with the paddle in hand.

“What about you?” Diana looked down seeing there was only one strap.

“I’ll be fine. It’s a big board.” Hannah smiled. “Now come on, before Akko floats to California.”

Diana smiled and jumped into the water. She expected frigid waters, the kind where a person would need a wetsuit for protection, instead the water was warm, and comfortable. Diana reached over to the board and began to climb on, she was impressed by Hannah’s ability to stabilize the board, despite her awkwardness. 

People just went about their day. No rush, no worries. Some adults played with the kids, a few fishermen were sleeping in their chairs waiting for a bite, others played music, or enjoyed the sun. Not a phone in sight. Not a single bad vibe. Diana was so charmed by everyone relaxed demeanors she didn’t even register that they were moving away from the beach and into the open sea.

“Ah… There’s Madame Ocean.” Hannah shook her head. “I swear if she’s sleeping, she’s going to get a paddle to the ass.”

“Does she do this often?” Diana inquired as Hannah continued to drag her paddle through the water.

“No, actually. But the problem is she shouldn’t be doing it at all.”

Diana nodded and looked forward to the woman, from the distance she could already see little details. She had a tribal looking tattoo running down the girl’s ribs and onto her back. Her tanned skin glistened from the little droplets of water drying on her back from the warm sun. Her brunette hair was tied into a messy bun that sank into the water a bit. She really must have been sleeping because she didn’t seem to move at all and bobbed with each wave.

“This stupid girl, is going to get herself into so much trouble one of these days.” Hannah hopped into the water and swam to the side of the girl’s board. Diana cocked her head to the side wondering what Hannah had in mind when the auburn girl quickly flipped the brunette’s board over. “Wake up!”

There was a short yelp, and a splash of water as the brunette sank under the surface.

A few moments later the girl, with a deeply annoyed look on her face, popped out of the water and glared at Hannah. She had deep uncanny crimson eyes. Diana has never seen such an eye color.

“What was that for?” She groaned.

“For sleeping in the middle of the ocean, again!” Hannah proceeded to scold the brunette, but her voice was quickly drowned out. “I can’t believe you…”

There are very few moments in Diana’s life where she was left speechless.

But as the woman pulled herself back onto the small board, Diana had to swallow back the lump in her throat. Now, up close, Diana could now see toned muscles in the brunette’s shoulders and biceps.

_Deltoid…_

_Biceps brachii..._

_Triceps brachii..._

_Trapezius..._

As the woman lifted herself higher, she displayed a _very_ well taken care of physique, not ‘buff’, but something like polished to a shine. Diana could see ocean water drip and roll down every edge and lining of her toned body. Water rolled from under her chin, down her neck, over her collarbone, and down her chest. Each bump and crevice slowing the drip like bumps on a country road. The sun cast shadows over her skin from muscles that seemed to move and work freely, without any problems. The human anatomy has always fascinated Diana, and this girl was the epitome of every anatomical image Diana has seen in her hundreds of medical text books.

“Are you even listening to me?!” Hannah splashed water at the brunette.

“Of course not.” She chortled, as if that was the most obvious answer she could give. The brunette swung her leg over and mounted the board. Diana felt her mouth go dry.

Scars riddled her powerful looking legs, as if the girl had been attacked by something ferocious her entire life, some of them acted like a barrier to stop the salt water running off her body. No human could have perfect skin, whether purposely or not, but that was the beauty of humans, the ability to heal and protect itself from harm. It only enhanced this girl’s beauty.

“Hey.” A lazy lopsided grin pulled at the corner of the brunette’s lips. “You must be Diana.”

Diana sat there completely dumb struck as the girl raised her hand and pulled out the hair tie in her bun. A little water splashed and flicked into Diana’s face as the girl’s hair came undone. But it didn’t deter her from watching the girl’s brunette hair fall haphazardly over one side of her face. It was surprisingly wavy, and much longer than what it initially looked like in the bun. The girl ran her hand through her hair, starting from her offset bangs to the back of her head and flipped her hair over to one side.

“Um…” She was still a little speechless. “Yes, I am.”

“Awesome! I’ve heard a lot about you!” The girl somehow swung her board around so that the tip of the board was pointing straight at Diana. “I’m Atsuko, but just call me Akko, alright?”

“A-Alright”

_Madame Ocean indeed..._


	2. Chapter 2

_ Don't worry about a thing, _

_ 'Cause every little thing gonna be alright. _

_ Singin': "Don't worry about a thing, _

_ 'Cause every little thing gonna be alright! _

Akko never felt she ever had time to waste, because her time was always being spent doing something. 

It was spent  _ living. _

Most people often would spend their days off sleeping in or running errands, but not Atsuko Kagari. Most people would even spend their work days tossing and turning in bed and awaiting the time for them to get out of bed and head off to their jobs, but not Atsuko Kagari. The brunette had better things to do.

Akko rolled over in her bed and looked out of the window of her small apartment. 

_ Rise up this mornin', _

_ Smiled with the risin' sun, _

_ Three little birds _

_ Pitch by my doorstep _

_ Singin' sweet songs _

_ Of melodies pure and true, _

_ Sayin', This is my message to you-ou-ou _

Good. There was only a golden glow beginning to chase away the night skies. There was a fog lingering on the ocean surface, giving the blue sea a grayish look. 

The music from her phone played and echoed around her small apartment. Not that she needed an alarm to wake her up, but there’s something about waking to the natural vibrations of Bob Marley before dawn patrol. The brunette stretched a little under the covers, before tossing of the blankets and preparing for her day.

Like every other day.

After changing into her bikini and putting on her green and black baja hoodie, she grabbed her backpack and stuffed two towels, a pair of aviator sunglasses, some food, a bottle of water, and her phone. She moseyed throughout her apartment, humming to herself as she tossed her hair into a messy bun.

_ Singing: "Don't worry about a thing _

_ Cause every little thing is gonna be alright _

_ Singing: "Don't worry about a thing (don't worry) _

_ Cause every little thing is gonna be alright!" _

She kept looking around to see if there was anything else she needed before heading out for the day. The last thing she needed was her board. 

Akko stood in front of the pristine white short board leaning against the wall next to her front door. Her fingers traced over the layer of wax on the board. It was a simple white short board, its only design was seven blue, star like dots that started from the tip to the base

_ Rise up this morning _

_ Smiled with the rising sun _

_ Three little birds _

_ Pitch by my doorstep _

_ Singing sweet songs _

_ Of melodies pure and true _

_ Saying, "This is my message to you" _

Her papa had given her this board on her 18th birthday, it was by far her favorite board, and she made sure to take special care of it. After a moment of admiring her board, Akko looked over her shoulder out the window and towards the ocean. She could see the orange and blue hues starting to come together, the dark night was already heading out and being replaced by a new day. 

_ Singing: "Don't worry about a thing (worry about a thing, oh) _

_ Cause every little thing is gonna be alright (don't worry) _

_ Singing: "Don't worry about a thing (I won't worry) _

_ Cause every little thing is gonna be alright!" _

_ Singing: "Don't worry about a thing _

_ Cause every little thing is gonna be alright (I won't worry) _

_ Singing: "Don't worry about a thing _

_ Cause every little thing is gonna be alright!" _

_ Singing: "Don't worry about a thing (don't worry about a thing) _

_ Cause every little thing is gonna be alright _

It was time for dawn patrol

….

Akko drove down the dirt road, with the windows down and music on silent. At any other time Akko would play whatever music popped up on her playlist, but not so early in the mornings. These were supposed to be quiet moments. There were many perks to being from the Big Island specifically. There was no big city hustle and bustle, and if one desired, they could live here in peace.

Dirt turned to gravel, and gravel turned to pavement. She was covered and surrounded by tall banyan trees lining the small road, but it didn’t take long to see an opening to the beach. Pohoiki was one of the smaller beaches on the island. It was known for its black sand, and how little sand there was. The shore was mostly filled with small rounded lava rocks beaten and eroded for years. There was a boat ramp for deep sea fishermen, a small stone pier next to it, and then a much bigger stone pier that acted as a look out.

Akko turned into the gravel parking lot and parked on the farthest end. Can’t trust all these drivers now days. Akko shut off her truck, and hopped out. Immediately grabbing her board and running to the big stone pier. No better way to start your day than to jump off a 25ft height into cool waters.

Before she even reached the end of the pier, Akko launched her board in first before diving head first into the water. There was the bite of a cold shock. Akko held her breath, and took her time to swim back up to the surface. as if she was specifically made for this kind of environment. It didn’t take long, it was so natural for her body to warm up and adapt to the temperature. When Akko breached the surface, she took a deep breath of the fresh morning air. 

Really, there’s nothing that can quite beat the adrenaline rush of cool ocean water.

Akko pulled herself onto her board, laid down, and began paddling out into the ocean. When she came far enough, the brunette pushed herself to sit on the board. Goosebumps broke out on her skin as she waited, water dripped from the tips of her hair sticking out from the bun onto her back. She continued to breathe deeply, filling her nostrils with salt water air, and listening to low tide waters ebb crash gently against uncovered reef.

Every morning. Like clockwork. 

She’s got no fears or worries at all out here. It was away from the world, it was quiet, a break away from work, from adulting, from expectations, from mistakes, from everything. Out here, it was just Akko. Out here, she could be queen of the ocean. Or something like that…

Akko looked up towards the horizon, and could see the top of a bright light beginning to peak over the top of the water. She could already feel the air warm up a bit as hues of orange, yellow, and red filled the blue sky. Akko smiled like it was the greatest secret in the world, and only she was allowed to see it. It didn’t take long, because in a blink of an eye a bright yellow ball pulled up from the horizon, and Akko was briefly blinded by such light.

“Wow…” She breathed as soon as her eyes adjusted. This was something she would never get over, the initial display of natural beauty. It was her own personal show.

But it wasn’t the end yet, there was still more to come. She sat on her board watching as rays of light shot out from the rising sun. She continued to watch, even when the sun was half way above the horizon, and the waves started picking up. She even watched an hour or so when the sun was fully above the horizon, and kissing her skin. 

Currently, there was no other place in the world Akko would rather be. 

Especially now, as she saw a slight rise was water in the ocean. The first wave of the day, it wouldn’t be big, the wind wasn’t blowing much, there wouldn’t be a lot of energy in the ocean to create a very big swell. But it would be enough. Akko wasn’t particularly picky; she would take what she was allowed to have

While moving her left leg in a circular motion, like an egg beater, and pulling her board to her left side, Akko turn towards the shore. Once the sun’s warmth hit her back, Akko laid on the board and began paddling towards shore. She wanted to get a head start so she could catch the wave before it broke, catching white wash is never a good way to start your day. She paddled hard, keeping her momentum constant. She chanced a peek over her shoulder and could already see a bit of white foam at the top of the wave. That was fine, she knew what she was doing, she’s done it thousands of times before. The water was dragging under her, and there was a slight rise to the back of her board, she’s got it.

There’s no way to describe it. Even if it’s your first time surfing. You just feel it. 

The moment Akko felt her board and all her hard work had caught the momentum of the water, Akko dragged her arm through the ocean for once last push and felt the wave take her. Akko grinned, and while lying on the board, she brought her hands up from paddling and placed them below your chest. In one quick motion, she pushed her body up and tucked her feet up and under her. 

She was ‘goofy foot’ with her right foot leading, and left foot was in the back, and knees slightly bent. 

Once on her feet, she gently leaned to her right. It doesn’t take much to angle a board.

And that was it. 

What would take writers paragraphs to write and tirelessly explain, in reality, only took seconds to execute. Surfing was easy. It blew Akko’s mind that the closest thing to walking on water was also the easiest thing. 

Akko let the ocean carry her towards the shore, keeping her focus in front of her with the sun shining brightly on her back. She didn’t have to be watchful of anyone else but herself. The small gusts of wind from the ride carried little drops of water on her face like a soft drizzle.

Man! Why couldn’t everything be this easy and satisfying?!

Akko rode the wave for as long as she could, until she could see the shallow teal ocean water, until she could see the bits of reef protruding getting nearer, and until the wave yielded and merged into the small ebbs. The brunette took what little momentum she could before carelessly falling off her board and into the cold ocean water.

However, this wasn’t the end, it was far from it. The first wave may have been short, but the time she had here would never be wasted crying over something so simple. It was the beginning of a new day, many more waves to ride. 

Every time Akko went out on the ocean the world didn’t seem so bad.

* * *

It wasn’t that Akko had a bad habit of falling asleep on her board, she knew better than to disrespect the ocean like that, she just had a bad habit of resting her eyes for too long. Can you blame her though? The sound of the ocean, the warm sun, the bobbing of waves under her? It was like a little lullaby. Of course, she couldn’t help lying forward on her board and resting a bit. But alas, good things fall apart. Hannah was pissed and had tossed her off the board, in front of her new housemate, no less.

But that was ok. 

Akko didn’t typically let things eat at her like that. The blonde-

_Diana? Yeah that’s right…_ _Diana…._

Didn’t seem to mind.  __

Instead, Akko just smiled at the blonde in front of her and introduced herself.

It took a moment for the blonde to reply, each second that passed, Akko took a moment to observe. She definitely wasn’t from Hawaii; she didn’t bring off that ‘vibe’. She looked stiff, like most of the people Akko had met during her time in college. She sat very upright on the paddle board. It wasn’t wrong, it just seemed off for the blonde.

Almost unnatural, in a way.

_ Damn, baby, with all those curves you’re gonna make me crash…. _

That didn’t deter Akko from thinking she was beautiful. She had natural ‘beach’ hair. Thick blonde and teal tresses perfectly framed her face and draped over her shoulders.

_ Teal blue? How is that even possible? _

It had volume, texture, definition. Absolutely effortless and artfully suspended in perfect form without any effort whatsoever. The kind of hair the most women would kill to have.

Her eyes were a pretty blue. At a first glance, Akko would say it was like ice piercing right through you. But upon further examination, she found that it was no different than kind of ocean blue when the sun rises. That light, mysterious glow.

Her skin was like porcelain. Not a single blemish or mark in sight, and there was a lot to see on such skin. One of the many great things about bikinis. Akko typically wasn’t the type to ‘check people out’ but Akko could appreciate beauty when she saw it, and there was a lot to appreciate from the blonde smiling shyly at her.

Adorable. Really.

Hannah had told them the blonde was foreign.

_ United Kingdom? Something like that? _

She was apparently brilliant. Hannah did nothing but gush annoyingly over this girl at the bar. But now that Akko was in front of this ‘Diana Cavendish’ Akko couldn’t think that what was in front of her, was just a normal girl.

“A-Alright” Diana said.

_ Shit, what were we talking about? _ Akko quickly shook herself awake; it wasn’t often she zoned out like that.  _ Ah yes, my name. _

“I wish you would stop falling asleep on your board like that.” Hannah huffed as she pulled herself to her feet on the paddle board. Akko had forgotten the auburn-haired girl was around. “One of these days the current is just going to sweep you away.”

Akko let out a deep sigh and scratched the back of her head. “Alright, alright. I get it. Thanks for the lifesaving. Anyways, why are you guys here? Don’t you have school?”

Hannah sighed. “I’m here showing my housemates around, Babs is at the pier, so we should probably head back there.”

“Sounds like a great plan, start paddling Hannah.” Akko wasn’t interested in going to shore yet. She didn’t have anywhere else she would rather be. She wasn’t hungry, or sleepy, or sore, and most importantly she didn’t have work. But before Akko could even begin to paddle further out, she chanced a glance at the blonde who seemed to be watching her very carefully or at least was looking at her board. An idea sparked.

Akko quickly pulled off the leash from her ankle and slipped of her board. “Diana, wanna try surfing out?”

“Surfing?” The blonde arch a perfectly sculpted brow.

Akko giggled and pushed her board towards the blonde and offered Diana the leash. “Yes surfing. A noun. The sport or pastime of riding a wave towards the shore while standing or lying on a surfboard.”

“Akko…” Hannah warned, but was quickly waved off.

Diana stared at her, clearly unimpressed, which was hilarious, considering that the blonde looked like some timid cat who’s never experienced water before. Maybe the blonde didn’t have a sense of humor, cats definitely didn’t have a sense of humor in Akko’s opinion. She wondered if she flipped Hannah’s board, would the blonde hiss? Most likely. It was tempting. 

But Akko could see it, that curiosity. The blonde really was looking at her board. Without another word, Diana unwrapped Hannah’s board leash from her ankle and replaced it with Akko’s. “Fine.”

Akko practically glowed with excitement, there was nothing better than teaching someone how to surf. People hardly ever got in on the first try, but that was the fun. The ‘almost’, the smiles and laughs of ‘being so close’. It was almost as fun and liberating as when people actually catch their first wave. Triumph over trial and error is always so satisfying, and Akko was always happy to see people fall in love with her favorite and best hobby.

“Sweet!” Akko floated backwards and treaded water as she watched the blonde mount her board. Usually, Akko didn’t like others using her board. It was her most prized possession, but she could make an exception.

“Diana are you sure?” Hannah tried to reach out, but Diana had, surprisingly, situated herself perfectly on the board.

“She’ll be fine Hannah.” Akko swam next to the board and steadied it. “My board might be a little small for you, so it might take a while for you to be able to stand on it, but we’ll worry about that later.” Akko pushed off the board and floated backwards. “Right now, all I want you to do is find balance. You look great sitting, now lay on the board and paddle towards me.”

Diana nodded her head and got to work. Hannah and Barbara always gushed about how studious and smart the blonde was. Akko could now see how true that was. She was awkward, the board often teetering side to side as she tried to lay down, but she must have been a quick learner because before Akko knew it, Diana was paddling.

“We kinda drifted a bit farther than we should have, so follow me into the surf zone. We’ll be a little closer to shore so that you can catch something. Cool?” Akko continued to back stroke. Her eyes moved around the blonde’s movements and watched for any faults in her form.

“Lift your chin…” Akko corrected. Diana instantly responded by raising her head.

“Reach forward when you paddle.” Diana adjusted herself.

Akko smiled. She looked like a bombshell surfer. “Wow, not bad…” she muttered under her breath, clearly impressed. However, the real work had yet to come. Akko reached out and grabbed the tip of her board.

“We’re stopping?” Diana inquired, mid-paddle.

“We’re in enough. Any closer and we’ll just be catching white wash.”

“Huh?”

“Uh, like the foam after a wave crashes. Kinda defeats the purpose, right?” Akko swam to the side of the board to hold it still. Diana was about to sit up on the board, but Akko laid her hand on the small of her back. “Just stay, I’ll let you know when a wave is coming and tell you when to paddle. After that…” Akko scratched the back of her head. “It’s kinda hard to explain, but you’ll feel the wave pull you. When you feel that you can do a few things, you can just lay on the board and let the waves take you. You can pop to your knees on the board, or you can go all out and try to stand. Either way, when you get too close to shore or start to lose momentum, jump off your board.”

“Just jump off?” Diana seemed to contemplate her options. “What if I want to stand?”

Akko smirked and eyed the blonde. “If you wanna stand, place your hands on the board like a push up and push your torso up. At the same time, shoot your legs forward and stand.”

The blonde nodded, and Akko was filled with excitement. No other question about the mechanics of surfing? No ‘how do I turn?’ or ‘what foot goes first?’ Just straight up. ‘How do I stand?’

Akko couldn’t wait to see her surf.

“Have you been doing this for a long time?” Diana asked as they waited.

“Yeah, my papa taught me when I was five or something. ‘Been doing it ever since.”

“You must love surfing.”

“I do. I used to do competitions when I was younger.”

“What happened?”

Akko shrugged. “‘Ya know. Life. Apparently unless you’re exceptional, surfing isn’t all that lucrative.”

Diana hummed, “I see.”

“Alright, we got one coming.” Akko looked to the incoming wave, it’s peak just barley breaking, and coming in slow. The ideal wave for a beginner. “Alright, start paddling. I’ll try and swim ahead to watch.”

“What should I do when I catch the wave?” Diana asked, almost panicking.

Akko just smiled reassuringly. “Whatever you want! But I gotta tell you, I’ll be impressed if you stood on your first try. Think you can do it, princess?”

There it was. Akko issued the challenge. She really didn’t expect the blonde to take it, especially for her first time out in the ocean like this. But, Akko couldn’t help it. It was the truth. Akko swam towards the shore, occasionally looking over her shoulder to see Diana’s progress. The blonde was paddling really hard, and looking very awkward, almost like she was going to fall off the board with how uneven her weight was being shifted. Akko would have to teach her how to properly paddle later.

When Akko was at a good distance, the brunette turned around and began to tread water. She hoped Diana wouldn’t get scared and pull back from the wave. Otherwise, Akko would have to swim back out there. But even from a distance, Akko could see the determination in Diana and was practically shaking with excitement. She really wondered if Diana would try to stand. It probably wouldn’t last long, but it was still something. Akko would even be surprised if the blonde tried popping to her knees. Most people would just try and stick to the board, riding straight in—that was the standard, what typically happens.

Akko saw the bottom of the board begin to rise from beneath Diana; the wave had caught up with her.

_ Good job. _

Diana paddled a few more strokes and stopped. Akko grinned at the sight. This girl could read that she was getting pulled.

_ Perfect.  _ Teaching Diana would be cake.

Akko watched as Diana caught her first wave. She was preparing herself to swim back out. She was prepared to see Diana bail the board and roll into the ocean. What she wasn’t prepared for, however, was seeing Diana place her palms on the board and lift her torso. Akko’s mouth dropped open.

_ No way… _

She could see Diana tentatively get a foot down on the board. The blonde must have impeccable balance because Akko was sure that position would have her falling off of the board. But, it somehow worked perfectly. Diana had performed a near perfect turn into the wave.

_ She’s gonna do it!? _

Akko’s lips quirked to a lopsided grin as Diana shuffled her back foot up the board and almost under her body.

“Alright, Diana!” Akko cheered. It was sloppy looking. Graceless for the graceful looking blonde and, most importantly, awkward. But damn did it work, because Diana was at least crouching on a surfboard. “YEAAHHHHHHH!!” Akko threw her hand in the air and bellowed triumphantly as a giant smile spread across Diana’s face.

_ Unbelievable…  _ Akko thought. She really was as good as Hannah and Barbara said.

Diana continued to ride the wave, albeit awkwardly, but it was a start. Akko waited patiently as the wave slowed and the blonde was bound to hop off the board. She could show Diana ‘stylish’ ways to pop off the board later. Style points are always important.

_ Oh shit…  _ Diana wasn’t stopping, and was riding in closer to the reef.

Akko forgot to tell her about one important thing when it comes to surfing. Spatial awareness. Always be weary of the reef.

“DIANA BAIL!” Akko shouted, “REEF!”

But it was too late. There was a slight hop to the board. Diana lost her balance and fell into the waters. Akko wasted no time swimming as hard as she could to see if she could save Diana before she got severely hurt. Getting dragged through the reef could do more than just leave a few scars here and there, she’s seen people break ribs. She’s seen people come back with deep gashes and lacerations on their faces. She’s seen broken bones and cracked open heads. Akko feared the worst as she swam through the seafoam. Hopefully, Diana didn’t get dragged too deep or any closer to the reef than she was.

It might have been only a few seconds, but it felt like forever until Diana had finally emerged from the sea, coughing up water. The blonde immediately reached for the board and pulled it close to her. Akko let out a big sigh of relief. There were no visible cuts or signs of damage on Diana’s upper body. Akko immediately grabbed the other side of the board and dragged her in towards shore and out of the surf.

“Are you ok?!” Akko tossed the board to the side and tried to help Diana to her feet. This only caused her to suck in a sharp breath and fall over. Akko quickly caught the blonde and lowered her to the ground.

Akko looked down at the plethora of cuts and scratches painting Diana’s leg. To be honest, the gashes on her leg weren’t actually that bad—Akko should know, she’s suffered being dragged through the reef numerous times. But, this wasn’t Akko bleeding.

“Diana, are you-“

“Akko!” Akko practically jumped out of her skin at Hannah’s angry tone. Akko kept her head down and kept rubbing the blonde’s back as she coughed sea water. “I knew this was going to happen, now look!”

Hannah pushed Akko to the side and took a look at Diana’s leg. Akko scooted away like puppy who knows it’s done something wrong and was awaiting the consequences.

“Diana, I’m sorry. I should’ve…” Akko trailed off, knowing her apologies were going to fall on deaf ears anyways.

“It’s alright, Akko,” Diana managed to cough out. “You’re bleeding too.”

“Huh?” Akko looked down at a few scrapes going down her her calf. She hadn’t noticed. She’s been through the reef more times than she'd like to admit. At this point, she’s used to, almost numb to, the pains of scratches.

Hannah just scoffed.  _ Way to ruin the day, Akko. _ That’s probably what the auburn-haired girl wanted to say. Akko wouldn’t be surprised.

“She’s fine. Jeez, we have to go home and get that bandaged now; the ocean isn’t as clean as it used to be.” Hannah inspected the wound.

“We can go to my pla-“

“Just grab your board and go back out, Akko.” Hannah put her arm around Diana and helped her to her feet. “That could have been so much worse. I can’t believe I let you do that.”

“I’m sor-“

“We’ll see you later, Akko.”

Akko clutched her board to her chest as she watched the duo walk away and meet up with Barbara by the boat ramp. She would have to properly apologize some other time, preferably when Hannah isn’t around. Akko had the bad habit of having tunnel vision. It was an honest mistake, but she needed to be more careful. She wasn’t a kid anymore, she was an adult. Consequences ran much deeper now compared to when she was younger. Diana didn’t seem too upset, but that didn’t make everything alright. Akko sighed and hugged her board closer. Sometimes she wondered if coming back home was really the best thing for her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Told ya' I was gonna post for this one soon! 
> 
> Anyways, like I said haven't forgotten, I just work a lot finally caught a moment to get miscellaneous things done. Thanks to my main homie for helping me out on grammar and punctuation, because I'm a little dumb with that. Anyways, thanks for sticking around and reading.
> 
> Surfing is my passion, hopefully I'm giving it the respect it damn well deserves. :D


	3. Chapter 3

Diana looked at the bandage around her leg. It was a bit overkill. It’s not like she hasn’t gotten scraped up or hurt before; she once fell off a bike and skimmed her knee pretty badly when she was a child. The reef hadn’t done too much damage. But Hannah just wasn’t having it and for the rest of the ride home, didn’t hold back on how dangerous that could have been and how irresponsible Akko was being. She didn’t take into consideration that Diana had agreed to do something she had no clue how to do, and she didn’t take into consideration that Diana decided to be a little arrogant by trying to stand up on the board. Surfing was actually harder than it looked, Diana prided herself on many qualities, but athleticism and balance were not one of those qualities. Although Diana had no desire to surf again, it was kind of nice to try something new. 

Still, Akko looked so hurt and distressed when she was fussing over her leg. Diana wanted to assure the brunette that everything was alright, and that nothing was her fault, but Hannah’s poorly timed intervention had put a stop to it quickly. She hoped to see Akko again so that she could let the girl know everything was alright. Plus, Akko seemed nice and aside from Hannah and Barbara, Diana didn’t have many friends. If she was really going to be living in Hawaii for the next few years, then maybe she should aim to have more than just coworkers.

**13:37 Barbara Parker:** We still getting drinks tonight?

Diana looked at the message that popped up on her phone. Normally Diana wouldn’t pay attention to her phone while in class, but she wasn’t exactly paying attention to the lecture. It was still the beginning of the semester, so most of her current courses were refreshers. But still, she couldn’t help but feel a bit of pressure. The day at the beach was actually wonderfully relaxing and such a nice break from the classroom and text books. 

**13:38 Diana Cavendish:** Sorry. Not tonight Babs. Too much work to do.

**13:39 Hannah England:** You promised.

She did, in fact, promise to go out tonight.

**13:39 Diana Cavendish:** Can I bring my books?

**13:40 Barbara Parker:** If that’s what gets you out then yes.

**13:41 Hannah England:** I left my truck keys at the house for you, just leave after you’re done with class and I’ll ride in with Barbara. We’ll start early so we don’t have to stay out late.

Diana groaned—she just wanted to make it through the day at this point.

**13:42 Diana Cavendish:** Where are we going?

**13:43 Hannah England:** Bricks

**13:43 Barbara Parker:** Bricks

Diana flipped her phone back over and went back to listening to her lecture. In the back of her mind, she recalled hearing the name of that bar before. Hannah said she worked there with Akko and a few other people that Hannah seemed to complain non stop about. Maybe Akko would be there too, she could get to know the girl a bit more and befriend her. The brunette seemed nice enough, maybe a little standoffish with Hannah at first, but Diana couldn’t be mad over that. She’s been told that she could be very intimidating, and Hannah never failed to be a little aggressive towards people. But still, there was an air of mystery around Akko. There was no way that someone who has demonstrated such passion and focus could be so inherently relaxed. She wanted to get to know Akko. She seemed so forward, and like an open book. The way she acted around their friends, and the way she lit up when she was out on the water was interesting to say the least. Diana never knew a person could perform such tricks on a surfboard, so what else was the brunette capable of?

* * *

Another quiz, another pass. Was it worth the extra hours of studying and energy drinks? Diana’s pride said yes, but her body said no. She really didn’t want to go out and drink. The last thing her body needed was alcohol, but the last thing her mind needed was to be consumed by more information. She was thankful for Google maps, because Diana wouldn’t have remembered any way to get back to the town that she had been through on her path to the beach. It was called Pahoa. It was small. Extremely small and filled with buildings still standing from the old plantation days in Hawaii. It was amazing that these buildings were still standing and were still well taken care of by the locals. There was a quaint, historical feel to the town. Most people walked along the sidewalk that Diana would describe as dangerously close to the main road, but this wasn’t the kind of road one could just speed on anyways.

Diana pulled up in a gravel parking lot next to an old, white-painted brick building. It was mildly modern looking compared to most of the other buildings in the town. She parked the truck and stepped out, straightening her blouse soon after. It was honestly too warm to be wearing jeans, but with her sunburn, Diana didn’t feel comfortable with showing off her peeling skin. She walked along the side of the building, looking at the murals of hula dancers, in a line and in mid-dance to a song Diana would probably never know. Diana was amazed by all the things she’s still never known.

Diana walked up a few short steps onto a wooden platform and peeked through the large bar windows. Akko was there in a white blouse and suspenders with a cute, little black bow tie perched around her neck. She watched as Akko polished a wine glass in an empty bar. There was a slight bounce in her standing position and her head was bobbing to what Diana would assume was music... No one else was in the bar. No one else was there to help Diana break the ice between her and Akko.

Hopefully, her housemates would arrive soon.

Begrudgingly, Diana opened the bar and was immediately met with music. Something between a cross of 1920’s swing jazz and a modern hip hop type of instrumentals. She could understand why the brunette seemed to be bouncing around as she worked. Diana’s own fingers tapped against her blue jeans to the beat of the song as she looked around. Of course, the main part of the bar was the wooden bar itself, lined with wooden stools from one end to the other. There were about 5 booths lining the opposite side of the wall, and a few scattered high tables before a small dance area. Save for the music, it was quiet and actually very clean and quaint looking.

Must not be a popular bar… Diana sighed in relief. She didn’t want people around her too much, especially not when she was in such a sour mood. To be honest, it seemed like the kind of bar she could study in…

Akko didn’t even seem to notice that she was approaching the bar top. She seemed so engrossed in her work and making sure each glass was polished to a gleaming shine. She could feel herself come undone with each blare of a trumpet and a heavy drum beat. She’s heard of lo-fi music, but never really got into it. To her, they were just modern versions of the originals, but this was good. Akko had a good taste in music.

Diana pulled out a bar stool and accidentally scraped the legs against the hardwood floor, accidentally gaining Akko’s attention. The brunette let out a small yelp and fumbled with the wine glass before finally managing a firm grasp at the stem of the glass.

“Diana!” Diana sheepishly waved as Akko quickly put down the glass and turned off the music with her phone. “I-uh-didn’t expect you. Or… anyone. Sorry about that…”

Diana smiled; she felt a bit guilty for startling the brunette. She seemed a little shy today, compared to her impartial enigmatic disposition during their first encounter.

“Don’t worry about it. It was actually nice music. I hope you don’t mind if I ask you to keep playing it?”

Akko looked around suspiciously, like she was doing something wrong, before turning the music back on again. It was much lower this time than when Diana walked in. Again, Diana couldn’t help but tap her fingers to the beat of the up-tempo music.

“Um, thanks. I wouldn’t peg you to be the remix type.” Akko rubbed the back of her head before looking around again. “Anyways, can I get you anything to drink?”

Diana plopped her books on the bar top with a loud  _ thud _ .

“Ah, so it’s that kind of week, huh?” Akko motioned to the stacks of alcohols and liqueurs behind her. “Anything to make it better?”

Diana giggled a bit and rested her chin in the palm of her hand. “Bartender’s choice?”

“Tough luck. I always choose whiskey.” Akko rolled up her blouse sleeves to her elbows and spun around. She first grabbed a smaller glass and a few bottles in various sizes as well as… an orange? Diana wanted to ask what the brunette was planning to make, and why it would need so much preparation, but Akko looked like she knew what she was doing. Thus, Diana remained quiet and watched.

“How’s your leg feeling?” Akko asked as she poured a small amount of a clear, thick liquid into the glass and added a few dashes of a brown substance in. “I saw the bandages…”

Diana peered up from the glass and looked at the bartender, who continued to work without a hitch. “It’s fine. It wasn’t as bad as it looked.To be honest, I think Hannah might have overreacted.”

Akko stirred the two liquids, and didn’t seem to want to look up. “Mmm, maybe. The reef can be a big deal sometimes. I didn’t think you were gonna try and stand up, I should have told you where the reef was. I’m sorry about that.”

“Please, don’t be.” Diana quickly tried to save the conversation, this was all about making sure Akko didn’t feel guilty, and maybe the brunette would want to be friends. “I’m happy you let me use your board and taught me how to surf.”

A small smile lit Akko’s face, and Diana felt like she had made one of the biggest accomplishments in her life. Akko then grabbed a bottle of whiskey and freely poured it into the small glass. “No problem, if you want I can give you my number to take you out again?”

_ Wait… _

“What was that?” Did Akko just ask her out? Like out, out?

“Ah!” Akko must’ve quickly realized her mistake and straightened the bottle. “I mean, like back out to the ocean! Like if you wanted to learn more, ya know? Not like a date or anything!”

Diana sat there in shock for a moment, before bursting out into laughter. Wow. This girl. “I see. Well, I don’t plan on getting on a board again, but the ocean does sound lovely.”

Again, another pretty smile from Akko. “Good, I’m glad you enjoyed yourself.”

Akko gingerly placed two large ice cubes into the glass as if she were in surgery and taking her time to make sure everything went perfect—something Diana could appreciate. The blonde assumed that maybe Akko seemed to be taking her time because she was the only person in the bar. But as she watched the woman’s crimson eyes look so bright, yet so focused, she wondered if there was something more to it for the brunette. Akko then grabbed a long spoon and began stirring the contents in the glass, mixing whatever it was that needed to be mixed.

“Just one more thing…” Akko muttered as she peeled a thin sliver off of the orange. She twisted the peel over the drink, and then gingerly ran it around the rim of the glass. As nervous as Diana was over what her drink would taste like, she couldn’t help but be intrigued in the brunette’s confidence.

_ ‘She must've done this hundreds of times for hundreds of people’ _ , Diana thought.

Akko then dropped the peel into the glass. Once it sunk to the bottom, she placed it in front of Diana.

Diana eyed the glass suspiciously. “What is it?”

“It’s an old fashion,” she reached for another glass and began polishing it, “It’s a classic whiskey drink.”

Diana sniffed the drink first. She could easily distinguish the smell of orange, most likely from the peel’s oil that Akko had brushed around the glass. She looked up at the brunette’s eyes to see them glistening with anticipation. Almost like a child waiting for a form of approval from her parents. Diana smiled and gently sipped a bit of the old fashion. She’s never been so surprised in her life. It was sweet, yet there was that classic whiskey burn in the back of her throat. The citrus filled her senses along with the smokey flavor.

“Well?” Akko leaned back against the counter on her side of the bar.

“It’s good. I’ve never had this before,” Diana admitted, licking the drink from her lips.

“Never had an old fashion before?” Akko reeled back in surprise. “You must not drink much then? It’s a classic whiskey drink! I think it’s dated back to the 1800s or something.”

“I actually don’t drink much,” Diana admitted, taking another sip, a bit longer this time. She actually enjoyed the slight burn in the back of her throat, the sweet scent of citrus that invaded her nostrils when she raised the glass, and the warmth that traveled down her chest and into her stomach.

“Well, you definitely know how to throw it back,” Akko quirked an amused brow.

Diana gave a sheepish smile. “Just because I don’t drink much, doesn’t mean I don’t know how to drink.”

“Hey, that’s something I definitely can get behind on.” She smiled and began making another drink using the same process as before. “Mind if I partake in the drinking of the alcohols with you?”

Diana chuckled beginning to feel warm. “By all means.”

Akko made a glass for herself and took a long sip. Diana watched as she sighed in content, seeing the tension in her shoulders loosen and relax completely.

“Is that your work uniform?” Diana ushered to the suspenders and bow tie.

“Nah.” Akko took a step back and opened up her arms to show off her attire as well as dangerously short black jean shorts that connected to the suspenders and showed off her muscular legs. “I just wanted to look spiffy. Looks pretty dapper, am I right?”

Diana giggled and motioned for Akko to come closer. When she was close enough, Diana leaned forward and reached out to straighten the bow tie. “You’ve never tied a bow tie before, have you?”

“Heck no, I don’t know the first thing about formal suits!” Akko declared rather proudly. Only for her face to drop to worry. “Why? Does it look bad? I went online and tried to follow the steps, but the instructions were kinda convoluted and I didn’t understand. Plus, I was running late this morning and...”

Diana listened to her ramble on as she adjusted the bow tie and tightened it. This wasn’t the mysterious, ‘cool’ Akko she had first met, and Diana liked that even more.

“You’re just a big dork, aren’t you?” Diana giggled and patted down the girl’s collar, interrupting Akko’s speech. “There, now you look snazzy.”

“Snazzy, huh?” Akko grinned happily. “I’ll add that to my vocabulary for sure then.”

“SHOTS ALL AROUND!” A group of men whooped and cheered as they walked into the bar. Diana was so surprised that she nearly knocked over her drink. Akko stumbled to her music player and shut it off quickly.

“Atsuuuuukkoooooo!” they yelled as they crowded at the opposite end of the bar.

Diana looked over to Akko and for a moment she could see an exhausted look in those crimson eyes. It was funny, considering how Akko seemed so ready and energetic when Diana first walked in.

“One moment, Dia.” Akko strolled down to the other end of the bar and tossed some coasters in front of them. “What’s up guys, same ole’ same ole’?”

“Ah, you know us too well Akko.” A blonde-haired boy grinned.

Akko just nodded her head and grabbed a few bottles of beer from the coolers behind the bar. The group and, in particular, the green-eyed boy watched every move that Akko made, and Diana never felt so disgusted in her life. Akko either didn’t seem to mind or didn’t know. But the way she was swinging her hips in those black shorts, she didn’t seem to care.

“Whose music is this?” one of them gawked.

Diana watched curiously as Akko’s eyes widened and she quickly changed the music on her phone. “Oh, it was just an ad in between songs.”

She quickly scrolled through her phone before turning on some sort of pop song. Diana didn't like it, but the group of men at the end of the bar seemed to approve of the music now. However, that wasn’t Diana’s taste. Akko walked around the bar with less bounce and seemed so calm and detached, just like her first meeting.

Aside from how the group of men were disgustingly ogling Akko with no sense of shame of being caught, Akko was just indifferent. It didn’t sit well with Diana, but maybe she was just overthinking things. Maybe Akko was just in work-mode now. Diana was so bewildered she didn’t even notice Hannah and Barbara sitting on either side of her.

“Oh, you already started?” Hannah frowned. “Someone must be having a good time.”

“Relax Hans, it’s time she takes initiative without us.”

A fiery haired woman then walked into the front and stepped behind the bar. She immediately went to Akko and gave her a loud high five.

“Hannah, you know you’re working tonight, right?” The woman turned her attention to the three at the bar.

“What? No I’m not.” Hannah quickly grabbed her phone and scrolled through her apps. It didn’t take long for the auburn-haired girl to drop her phone on the bar top and sigh.

“Yeah, you are. I made the schedule. You’re supposed to be barbacking with me and upselling losers like these guys.” Amanda pointed to the grinning faces of the businessmen.

Barbara rolled her eyes. “Just when we were going to hang out and relax.”

“Tough luck, Babs.” The woman grinned and then turned her attention to Diana. “Are you the princess?”

“The… what?” Diana immediately glared at the woman, who continued to look at her in a challenging way.

“Yeah, you know, the British one that tried to surf the other day? Diana. Akko wouldn’t shut up about you,” she pointed to Akko, who just frowned, before introducing herself, “I’m Amanda O’Neill by the way.”

“Pleased to meet you, Miss O’Neill.” Diana held out her hand, but was given a high five instead. 

“Yo, Akko, ya hear that? ‘Miss O’Neill,’ she says!” Amanda held her stomach and began laughing while everyone else in the bar just stared awkwardly. Diana cringed and proceeded to hide her face from further embarrassment.

She peeked from beneath her hand to see Akko giving her a sympathetic look. Akko just smiled and loudly announced, “So! I heard ‘shots’ when you guys came in?”

“Ah! Yes!” a green-eyed man agreed, “I propose tequila for everyone.”

“So it’s that kinda week, huh Drew?” Akko grabbed a few shot glasses more than she should have, but proceeded to set them out and pour tequila in. She expertly slid the filled glasses to everyone sitting at the bar top, including Diana. The blonde was about to refuse. She needed to study. She could drink a little, but ultimately she needed to at least get some notes in before she drank more.

“Whoa, whoa!” Amanda grabbed the shot from in front of Diana. “Diana probably doesn’t drink and if she does, she only indulges in the finest wines.”

Diana’s eyes narrowed at the red head and she was about ready to give Amanda a piece of her mind until Akko stepped in and flicked Amanda’s forehead.

“I’m sure Diana can handle tequila.” Akko gave an impish smirk. It was in stark contrast of the bright, silly grin from earlier. “If she’s gonna be stuck with us, she’s gonna have to drink like us.”

Diana eyed the clear liquid suspiciously. “You need training wheels, your majesty?” Akko joked, holding out a salt shaker and a lime elegantly in front of her.

Diana frowned. She wasn’t interested in being the butt of every ‘princess’ joke.

Instead, Diana grabbed the shot and slammed back. She knew at that very moment, she was not a tequila drinker and wanted so badly to spit out the offending alcohol the moment it touched her lips. But, she was too determined and was in too deep to stop now. After drinking down the burning, awful liquid, Diana slammed the shot glass back down and glared at everyone in the bar. There was a moment of silence. Diana expected some sort of insult or teasing, but before she could say anything witty, everyone roared and cheered in amusement.

“Damn! And no training wheels, she might be a better drinker than me!” Amanda shouted.

Both Hannah and Barbara patted her back proudly while Akko just stared in shock. The group of guys at the other end of the bar cheered and laughed. A warm feeling that wasn’t the alcohol filled Diana; she actually felt good. Like she was part of something that didn’t have to do with academics. Everyone else licked salt off the back of their hands, took the shot, and bit down on the lime slice. Apparently that’s what it meant to have training wheels when drinking tequila.

Everyone sighed in content and went about their time. Akko went back to her conversation with the group of men, almost like Diana wasn’t there anymore. She was cool and sly. She didn’t ramble, she didn’t say words like ‘spiffy’ or ‘dapper’, she didn’t fumble with glasses or show off her cute bow tie. And Diana just couldn’t keep her eyes off of the brunette.

“Come on, Hannah. Go get ready for your shift tonight. There’s no way I’m being left by myself with these idiots.” Amanda smirked and looked at Barbara and Diana. “Your drinks are on the house. Akko’s request.”

“That’s nice of her…” Diana frowned, she wanted to tip the brunette or at least continue talking with her.

Amanda shrugged. “Yeah, Akko’s really nice. It’s also one of the many ways how you build a repertoire as a bartender.”

“Pfft… Akko’s a flirt...” Hannah mumbled and walked to the back with Amanda.

Whether or not Diana was supposed to hear that was beyond her, but she heard it. She peered down at the other end of the bar and watched how Akko leaned against the bar top. The way she smiled coyly, and the teasing conversation she was having with the other bar patrons made Diana feel a little silly. Of course, she wouldn’t be any different to Akko, they had just met. Diana didn’t know the finer details of the girl's life. Diana was filled with dread as she watched Akko ‘flirt’ with the green-eyed boy and his friends.

It seemed like Akko had flipped a switch. Like Diana was watching someone different behind the bar compared to the brunette with a crooked bow tie that she was talking with earlier. Where was the adorable dork that Diana was just talking to? That’s who Diana felt she wanted to know. That’s what felt right.

“Diana, are you ok?” Barbara nudged her side. Diana was awoken from her thoughts and she quickly turned away from the laughter and conversation that Akko was a part of at the other end of the bar.

“Yes, I’m just a little tired.” Diana forced a smile. “It’s been a while since I’ve drank.”

“Do you want to go home?” Barbara grinned and quickly glanced back to Akko, who was popping open the cap of another beer for someone else. “Akko will be off soon.”

Diana peeked back at the brunette making another drink and telling some sort of joke that made the other patrons roar in laughter. Hanging out with Akko a bit longer sounded nice, but not if she was infringing on whatever intentions Akko was having tonight.

Instead, Diana just collected her untouched books, and placed some money on the bar top for Akko.

Barabra nodded and they both quietly made their way out of the bar. Diana was the first to walk out the door and make her way towards Barbara’s car. She wanted to stay, in fact, she was looking forward to exchanging more banter with Akko, but only if it was with her and their friends. It was selfish and strange considering she had just met her. Maybe she was just drunker than she thought and letting the bodily attraction fill her thoughts. But either way, she was having fun and she was happy.

“Hey! Wait!”

A voice called out before she could reach the car door. Diana turned around and saw Akko skid to a halt, kicking gravel and dust into the air.

“I thought you were gonna stay!?” Akko huffed out. “I just got off… We’re not gonna hang out?”

Diana fiddled with her hands behind her back and looked away. The bartender looked so sad and disappointed. Diana knew she could have at least said goodbye. For that, she felt a little guilty. “I’m not feeling very well, and I have class tomorrow morning. It’d be best if I go home now.”

“Well, let me give you my number.” Akko held her hand out expectantly, and Diana just couldn’t resist that bright smile. She unlocked her phone and handed it to Akko. The brunette then proceeded to enter her number into Diana’s phone and then call her own. “Call me when you wanna do something, and I’ll work something out around my work schedule.”

Akko handed the phone back, and Diana was once again thrown for a loop. Akko had given her her number and wanted to hang out with her again.

“Please?” Akko smiled softly with an almost hopeful expression on her face.

“I-Of course,” Diana stuttered out. It was a good thing she didn’t keep drinking, otherwise she would’ve walked back into the bar with Akko without hesitation.

“Sweet!” Akko threw her fists in the air and grinned. “I’ll see you soon, then!”

Akko spun around and ran back into the bar.

“Come on, Diana,” Barbara giggled and tugged her into the car.

Diana looked down at her phone and the new number entry:  **Akko Kagari :)** She stared at the little smiley face next to the girl’s name until finally, a smile of her own broke out on her face.

_ ‘Dork…’ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> With posting Broad Shoulders, there will be a post with Deep Waters too. Again, due to the current situation of the world, I now have more time to write and put out some updates. Hopefully, ya'll haven't dropped this fic too. Thanks for sticking around and reading everyone!


	4. Chapter 4

Akko couldn’t stop smiling, even when she was off her shift and sitting at the bar, sipping on a beer. She looked at her phone contacts for what could have been the 100 th time.

**Diana Cavendish :D**

Diana seemed so stiff initially, but after hanging out at the bar, Akko decided that their first encounter was probably a fluke, and it was some cruel joke of the world that Diana had gotten hurt under her watch. The blonde liked her music, and didn’t mind that she said words like ‘spiffy’. She didn’t make fun of her bow tie, and when Diana took that shot, it really was the most adorably spiteful thing Akko could imagine.

How could Akko  _ not  _ be interested?

But at the end of the day, Akko was just a simple bartender taking a break from school, and surfing in her free time. She’s been on her own for so long, she’s never had to worry about anyone but herself, really. Of course, she wouldn’t be able to give Diana a reason to be interested in her. But, Akko could appreciate beauty, and she wasn’t afraid to give credit wherever credit was due.

“Oh man, Akko, Akko, Akko…” Amanda shook her head and smirked as she started cutting lime slices for drink garnishes.

Amanda O’Neil. One of Akko’s best and longest friends as well as the manager of their tiny bar. The redhead had been promoted by the owners, Croix and Chariot. The two were off travelling the world together. So, they’d pretty much entrusted their business to Amanda while Akko was in college, and much to everyone’s surprise, Amanda did very well as a manager. Well actually, it shocked everyone but Akko. Amanda was a savvy businesswomen, and actually very responsible despite her laid-back demeanor. If Amanda cared deeply about something, she was more than capable and willing to manage things perfectly. On the other hand, Amanda was known to get frustrated easily. Thus, it was only natural that when Akko came back, she would be Amanda’s right-hand man. Regardless of employee to employer, Akko and Amanda were still best friends.

Akko rolled her eyes, but decided to play along. “Whaddaya want from me, Mandy?”

“Well one, don’t call me that, that name gives me weird vibes—like I should own a pink escalade or something. And two, you know  _ exactly _ what.” Amanda grabbed the lime slices and threw them in the bar fruit caddy. “I saw that look you gave blondie when she took that tequila shot straight.”

“And that’s supposed to mean something?” Akko quirked a curious brow before taking another sip of beer.

“My friend, that was the look of a woman willing to risk it all,” Amanda grinned smugly, “You’re whipped.”

Akko almost choked on her beer. “ _ Whipped _ ? Are you kidding me?” Amanda tossed her hands in the air in defense. “You’re joking, I practically just met her, and the first time we met I pretty much directed her straight to the reef.”

“Fair argument, not the point though.”

“And what’s the point?”

“The point is, you should know when someone is out of your league, Akko,” Hannah chimed in at the other end of the bar.

“I get it, I get it.” Akko waved off sarcastically. “I let your friend ride my board and now you’re all pissed off because I’ve never let you ride my board.”

Hannah stomped her foot on the wooden floor and pouted. “That’s definitely not what I meant!”

“Hannah, please take your order out,” Amanda sighed out. The two redheads stared each other down for a moment before Hannah finally huffed one last time, grabbed her drinks, and left. When she was out of earshot, Amanda turned to Akko. “Yeesh, she seems… more upset with you than normal?”

“Yeah, I don’t know. That one is your issue,” Akko teased.

Amanda hummed. “But we’re not talking about me. I’m talking about you and blondie—“

“Diana,” Akko absentmindedly corrected.

“See, you’re already protecting her honor.”

“Will you stop with that!” But Akko couldn’t help but smile. She knew that she would fall victim to Amanda's endless teasing from here on out. “There’s no way. Like I said, we just met. And, well, ya know? I’m awkward and a little stupid, and all the things opposite of someone seemingly so perfect.”

“She didn’t seem to mind.” The bar ticket machine began running and pumping out a new drink order for Amanda to make. The redhead swiped the ticket away and looked over the order before starting a new stack of drinks.

“How would you know?”

“I was spying from the corner.” Amanda nodded towards the door leading to the kitchen. “She seemed to be swooning over you.”

Akko sighed and took a long drag of her beer. “Swooning, huh?”

Amanda rolled her eyes, and set two freshly made margaritas on the rocks over the bar mat. “All I’m saying, Akko, is that it was nice to see you be yourself around someone other than us. Anyways, I have things to do. Make sure you pay for your beer.”

“Don’t I get a shifty?”

“You gave your shifty to  _ Diana,  _ who also left you a nice tip. _ ” _ Amanda slid a twenty-dollar bill in front of Akko.

“She… left more than what the drink and a tip would’ve been worth…” Akko grabbed the twenty and looked in awe.

“I’m telling you, Akko. She really didn’t seem to mind you,” Amanda sighed and tossed a beer coaster at Akko’s forehead. “You should have more faith in yourself.”

_ More faith in myself? _

Akko sat there and looked at the twenty-dollar bill. There was no reason why Diana would leave that much money for a five-dollar drink and a short conversation. She couldn’t deny it, it was nice to be so natural around someone. She wanted to see Diana again for sure, but by the looks of those textbooks, Diana didn’t seem like the type to just casually hang out throughout the week. Akko chugged the rest of her beer and threw some cash onto the bar top before leaving. It was fine, Akko could be patient—she had a lot of time to waste anyways.

_ \--- _

“Did Diana text you yet?” Hannah prodded at Akko’s elbow, almost causing her to lose her pour count in the manhattan that she was trying to make for another customer. Akko hated manhattans; vermouth never tasted right.

“Hannah, we’re busy. Is this really the time you want to make fun of me?” Akko sighed as she finished the drink and grabbed a new ticket order to make. “Did you even finish those mojitos?”

It’s not that Akko didn’t like Hannah, actually at one point, they were very good friends. But then something happened during highschool, right before Akko was about to pack up and leave for college. Hannah became cold and even a little spiteful. No one ever found out why. Whatever the reason was, no one knew. Only Hannah would ever know.

“Yes, I finished those mojitos, and yes, this is the perfect time to make fun of you,” Hannah continued to taunt, “I’m just saying, Akko. What’s got you so interested in Diana?”

“Interested?” Akko pulled a cold glass from their bar cooler, flipped it behind her back, caught it, and began to pour beer from one of the taps. “I’ve only had, like, two conversations with her. Why is everyone suddenly so interested in the people I talk to?”

Akko pulled back the glass and cleaned off the foam overflowing from the glass to reveal the perfect beer head. Damn, she was good at that. Personally, Akko didn’t like having to leave the one-inch foam head. She understood that it was for aromatic and aesthetic purposes, but really people were interested in drinking beer. Typically, she would like to leave more beer than foam.

“Because you never seemed interested in anyone else in highschool, but we heard little about your conquests in college.”

_ Conquests? _

“What are you talking about?” Akko quickly shot back.

“Come on, Akko. Akko Kagari, big shot soccer player from Hawaii—you can’t tell me that people weren’t drooling all over you. It must’ve been so easy. Plus, you come back and now you’re all cool and ‘suave’. Something must’ve happened.”

Akko rolled her eyes. “You sound like you’re mad because you don’t have anything to tease me about anymore, or maybe you’re just mad because Diana wants to be friends with more than just you and Babs.”

“All I’m saying is that no matter where you go, you’re still that girl who ran head first into a soccer goal post.”

“You still bring that up?” Akko chuckled. Definitely not one of her proudest moments in highschool, but the glory of winning that game was worth the concussion. Akko wasn’t one to get angry over things like that anymore, but that didn’t mean it didn’t still bother her from time to time. “We’re not kids anymore, Hans. People can change.”

Hannah sighed and gave Akko a sad look before going back to work. “Clearly.”

_ \--- _

_ Damn it… _

Akko tossed her phone on the bed and sighed. Tired would have been the understatement of the night. She never understood why Wednesdays got so busy. Good thing she had a tight crew for the night, otherwise the bar would’ve been a mess. Closing shifts were usually a hit or miss. Sometimes they’re great, and sometimes Akko would love nothing more than to jump out of a window. But either way, she never failed to make sure she did a good job, even with Hannah’s odd conversation… but then again, Hannah  _ always _ brought up odd conversations. Regardless of that, tonight was as lucrative as ever, and better yet, whoever was opening the bar the next morning should be fine.

Still, it wasn’t like it didn’t feel like a long night. She definitely wasn’t going to make dawn patrol, but sunset surf runs weren’t so bad. Sleeping in sounded way better. Though, maybe it was just a rough shift, and she was just over thinking and tired from everything. 

It was rough, but not just because it was busy. Akko was practically doused from head to toe in some crappy light beer. She had been trying to change a keg, and didn’t tighten the nozzle on the new keg. Next thing she knew, beer sprayed everywhere when she turned on the pressure again. So, not only did she smell like stale, crappy light beer on a busy night, but she was working sticky too. Luckily, people were nice tonight, and she made a lot in tips. Fair trade. But that didn’t mean she didn’t desperately need a shower.

One of the nice things about living alone? Walking around your apartment naked with no worries.

Akko tossed her clothes in the hamper, and stepped into the shower. She was tempted to grab a beer and have a well-deserved shower beer after the shifts she’s had, but it was late. If she started drinking, she wouldn’t sleep well enough to be able to stay awake on her board tomorrow. The last thing she needed was to be swept away by the ocean. Instead of that, the nice, hot water running through her hair and dripping down her body was enough to relax her muscles. Additionally, it soothed the aching in her legs from being on her feet for 9 hours straight.

After her shower, Akko took her time getting dried off. She could already feel the fatigue settling in. After wrapping her hair up in a towel and putting on a hoodie and boxers, the brunette collapsed on her bed. She picked up her phone.

**_Diana Cavendish :D_ **

Akko looked down at the name in her phone for what was probably the millionth time by now. It had been a few days, and still, the blonde had not contacted her.

Unless…

_ Maybe I have to text first? _

There was a pawing at her window, a few gentle taps on glass. When Akko looked over, she saw her favorite neighborhood cat.

“Hiya, Mayhem…” Akko pushed herself up and walked to the window to let the black cat in. The cat hopped into her apartment and shoved his head against Akko's hand. She giggled as it purred when she scratched behind his ears. “You hungry? That’s cool, I am too.”

The cat belonged to the neighborhood. Akko would love to have him for herself, but this cat was much too adventurous and free-spirited to be kept in her apartment all day and night. Every night, the little cat never failed to prod at Akko’s window to be let in for the night. It was nice. Sometimes, the cat would follow her to the beach and swim in the water with her. But at the end of the day, he was still a cat, and was more interested in lounging in the sun.

Akko walked into her kitchen with that cat following closely behind. She pulled a container of sandwich meat out of the fridge. With the flick of a wrist, she gave a piece to the cat before making a sandwich for herself. As much as Akko missed having Lotte and Sucy as her roommates, she’d learned the importance of silence while being on her own. It was a nice break from working in a loud bar all night long.

_ But I’m the one who gave her my number? Does that make me look creepy if I text her first too? _

Akko took a rather aggressive bite of her sandwich while contemplating her choices. The cat meowed loudly, begging for more.

“Sorry, Hammy,” Akko muttered as she took another piece of her sandwich meat and tossed it on the ground, “I’m having a small crisis here.”

Akko continued to eat in peace, not really giving much attention to anything but the name in her phone.

_ Gahhhh… But what does it matter?!  _ Akko tossed her phone to the side and shoved the rest of the sandwich into her face. She had only just met the girl, and on the first day, practically endangered her life. That night at the bar though…

Akko smiled.

_ She liked my bow tie… _

Akko barely had a moment with Diana and she was  _ already _ a mess. She couldn’t stop thinking of Diana. Even when the blonde was long gone, and Akko was relaxing at the bar after her shift days ago, her head was flooded with thoughts.

Amanda wasn’t completely wrong. It was attractive to find someone to joke with, someone who didn’t mind how awkward she really is. Growing up, she had inadvertently created a persona for everyone. She was athletic, charismatic, and everything came easy. But really, Akko was socially awkward. She focused on school and sports so that no one could see that. 

When did talking to girls get so hard? It used to be so easy in college, and to her credit, Akko was a great conversationalist when she was bartending. She’s spoken to numerous pretty women and handsome men, but none quite like Diana. Akko couldn’t believe that Hannah referred to her past flings and dates as “conquests”—like Akko was some sort of jerk who dated people just to use them and then toss them aside. If Akko was that type, then she wouldn’t be interested in someone like Diana. 

The blonde was nice too and, by the looks of her textbooks, exceptionally smart.  _ Of course _ , the blonde bombshell would leave her speechless at her own place of work. Not many people could do that, not even the savviest of businessmen could leave Akko awestruck. At this point in her life, Akko felt like she had seen it all. Clearly not the prettiest blonde, though.

_ Damn it… _

Akko went back to her room, tossed herself onto her bed, and scrolled through her phone. She was an adult now, damn it! She could give her number and be the first to text. Who cares about what Hannah said about Diana being out of her league! Akko could be competitive too. She could play in the exact same ballpark. 

Diana didn’t seem to mind her awkwardness, and she even didn’t mind being smashed into the reef because of Akko’s absentmindedness. She pulled up a new message and in the recipient box, typed the fated name.  **Diana Cavendish** .

“Hey, Diana…” Akko typed while speaking aloud, “I was wondering if you would like to come to the beach with me this Sunday?”

Her thumb hovered over the send button. It was kind of late. There was no way Diana would still be awake. But maybe, the blonde could read it the next morning, and spend the day deciding whether or not to go out to the beach again with Akko. 

Maybe she could take Diana to the waterfalls, or hiking in the old lava tubes instead. Something that Diana probably wouldn’t have experienced in the UK.

_ Well… here goes nothing. _

Akko was just about to hit send when her phone went off.

**_Ding, ding…_ **

A message popped up on the screen of her phone. Akko bolted straight up, startling the temperamental cat, and causing it to knock over her laptop. Akko looked down at her screen and couldn’t help the stupid smile stretching across her face.

**_03:06 Diana Cavendish:_ ** I did not get a chance to thank you for the drinks or the conversation last time. I hope I left an adequate enough tip.

_ Holy crap, she texted me… _

Funny how Akko was all about being an adult, but couldn’t help turning into a nervous school girl from a platonic text. However, it didn’t discourage her from texting back immediately. She had nothing better to do, and there was no reason why she should be embarrassed for shooting back a text. Her little heart was not prepared for this.

**_03:06 Akko Kagari:_ ** No problem! Thanks for coming in and getting me through my shift! You really didn’t have to tip me!

_ Is that too many exclamation marks? Should I be a little more reserved? Am I coming off a little too forward?! _ Akko facepalmed herself. Only the first text conversation and she was already making this awkward.

**_03:07 Diana Cavendish:_ ** It’s no problem at all. I had a lovely time.

**_03:07 Akko Kagari:_ ** Well, I’m glad I could offer you a good time. You seemed super stressed. In fact, why are you still up?

**_03:07 Diana Cavendish:_ ** Studying.

Ah. Yes, of course.

**_03:07 Akko Kagari:_ ** Yikes, I know how that feels. Need a break?

**_03:07 Diana Cavendish:_ ** Yes, actually, I was hoping to take you up on your offer to hang out? I’m free tomorrow, if you are?

Akko smiled.

**_03:07 Akko Kagari:_ ** Yeah, I’m down :)

\---

**_09:13 Akko Kagari:_ ** Hey! Umm… I know we were supposed to hang out today, but I had to pick up Lotte’s opening shift. I’m sorry…

It was already towards the end of her shift and she still didn’t hear back from Diana. This wasn’t turning out the way she had envisioned. Maybe Hannah was right. Maybe she was still the same awkward kid in highschool that was too busy trying to be the best to land a date. Diana probably thought she was a flake, and that was one of the worst people to be considered.

Working a close to open shift wasn’t bad, especially since Akko could go home straight after her shift and fall asleep. But, having to cancel a potential date with Diana, she was practically dying at the bar. As much as she loved Lotte, the only thing that would have made this shift even worth it is if she made some money from it. Unfortunately, there were only a few people in the bar today. Funny how a busy Wednesday night could lead to a dead Thursday morning.

Akko turned up the music on her phone and did her normal closing out routine, making sure things were stocked and all her tickets were closed out. She even sent her kitchen staff home early, something that Jasminka and Cons were more than happy with on a slow day.

Akko was washing some dirty glasses in her bar tubs when she heard a voice she didn’t expect to hear.

“Hello there…”

Akko looked up to see Diana standing at the end of her bar. She stood there wearing a bright yellow sundress with her hair pulled back in a perfect ponytail, pieces of curly blonde hair framing her face.

“Hiya…” Akko smiled, “What are you doing here?”

“I came to hang out.” The blonde pulled out a bar stool and smiled back. Akko stacked the cleaned glasses for them to dry out. She tried her best to not look directly at Diana, especially with how gorgeous the girl was looking now. “I’m assuming you’re free after work?”

Akko dried her hands on the bar towel attached to one of the loops on her jean shorts. She then turned down her music a bit. The butterflies in her stomach felt more like cutting knives, and she was really hoping that the heat she felt in her face wasn’t showing on her cheeks. “You… don’t want a drink?”

Diana looked away and fiddled with her hands on the bar top. “I was hoping that maybe you would have something else in mind?”

Akko drummed her fingers on the bar weighing her options. She looked to the kitchen door and saw Amanda, peering in through the small window with a smirk on her face and a big thumbs up.

It didn’t take long.

“Alright, let’s go.”

Diana gawked. “Huh? Now? Aren’t you on shift?”

“Amanda is here, meaning I’m clocking out about…” Akko typed her employee number in the system and pressed enter. A small ticket showing how many hours she’d worked this week popped out. She simply grabbed it and tossed it to the side, “...now.”

The brunette grabbed her keys. Under the guise of taking Diana out for just a breather from work, Akko felt a bit more confident about spending time with her. It seemed that maybe Diana wanted to hang out as well. Why else would Diana take the time to come all the way to the bar to see if Akko was free tonight?

“Uh-huh…” Diana absentmindedly replied. “And where are we going?”

Akko grabbed her backpack from underneath the bar and threw it on her back. “Out? I don’t know. Somewhere other than here.”

“I took a bus here though,” Diana admitted as Akko struggled to take off her non slip shoes and replace them with her converse.

“Welp, good thing I drive.” Akko stepped out from behind the bar and stood in front of Diana. She almost looked surprised that Akko was ready to go. But, Akko couldn’t help it, she was already starting to like the blonde. There was probably more than just a bookworm in front of her. Akko shuffled her feet on the wooden bar floor. “Any other objections or can we go?”

Diana giggled and then stepped off the bar stool. “Alright, let’s go.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> With every post with Broad Shoulders, there's a post for Deep Waters. :) I hope everyone making it through this quarantine and with all this stuff going on in the world. Hope something lighter can relax ya'll.


	5. Chapter 5

Diana peeked from her textbook to the phone on the edge of her desk. Every time she had the nerve to text Akko, she would delete her message and go back to furiously studying. She needed time to reevaluate and think of how to go about this with Akko. She enjoyed Akko’s presence. Diana thought she was absolutely adorable, but she still didn’t know what to make of Akko’s change in personality when everyone else arrived. She also didn’t forget Hannah’s comment.

“ _ Akko’s a flirt.” _

She didn’t seem that way. At least, the way she was acting around Diana seemed genuine. She hoped that the way Akko was acting towards the other bar patrons was just the act, and that the dork she was in front of Diana was real. In the world that Diana grew up in, it was hard to find people that were so real. It would be embarrassing if someone like Akko wasn’t who she thought she was.

Diana sighed and checked the time on her phone again. It was just a little past 3AM. There was no way that Akko would still be awake if she was trying to surf so early in the morning. Really, Diana shouldn’t have been awake either. But… maybe if Akko woke up to her text before going out, then perhaps they could make an arrangement to meet at the beach again. 

After all, Diana was just looking for a friend. She’s had many flirty friends, Hannah being one of them. Although it would disappoint Diana, she still likes Akko enough to want to be around her.

This would be her chance to get out of her sheltered life, and be more than just a brainiac. So Diana grabbed her phone and typed her first message to  **Akko Kagari :)**

**_03:06 Diana Cavendish:_ ** I did not get a chance to thank you for the drinks or the conversation last time. I hope I left an adequate enough tip.

**_03:06 Akko Kagari:_ ** No problem! Thanks for coming in and getting me through my shift! You really didn’t have to tip me!

**_03:07 Diana Cavendish:_ ** It’s no problem at all. I had a lovely time.

**_03:07 Akko Kagari:_ ** Well, I’m glad I could offer you a good time. You seemed super stressed. In fact, why are you still up?

**_03:07 Diana Cavendish:_ ** Studying.

**_03:07 Akko Kagari:_ ** Yikes. I know how that feels. Need a break?

**_03:07 Diana Cavendish:_ ** Yes, actually, I was hoping to take you up on your offer to hang out? I’m free tomorrow, if you are?

**_03:07 Akko Kagari:_ ** Yeah, I’m down :)

Safe to say, Diana went to bed without a worry in the world.

* * *

**_09:13 Akko Kagari:_ ** Hey! Umm… I know we were supposed to hang out today, but I had to pick up Lotte’s opening shift. I’m sorry…

Diana bit down a piece of toast and chewed frantically as she looked down at her text messages. It took her days to build up the nerve to ask Akko to hang out again, and she didn’t even ask! Akko offered her a break. A break that Diana desperately needed after the week she’s had. Nothing bad happened schoolwise, she was just tired from all of the hard work. Curiously enough, Akko didn’t offer another time they could hang out, if not today. Diana really couldn’t read into this girl! Was she just awkward? Or was she blowing Diana off? She didn’t seem like the type to flake out, but Diana’s been wrong about people before.

“What’s wrong with you?” Barbara asked as she walked into the kitchen. “You’re tearing apart that poor piece of toast. I thought you were trying to relax today?”

Diana swallowed her food and placed her phone on the counter top. “I was just thinking.”

“About Akko, right?” Barbara quickly slid the comment in before grabbing some milk from the refrigerator.

“Yes,” Diana answered. She was about to take another bite of her toast when she heard sly humming from Barbara. “NO!” Diana quickly tried to correct herself.

“Damn, I’m good.” Barbara burst into laughter as Diana groaned. “I’m just kidding, Diana. I think it’s great that you’re hanging out with Akko. She’s nice. She doesn’t do much besides surf and work from what I’ve heard, but for as long as I’ve known her, she’s always been fun.”

“I was supposed to go out with her today, but she ended up working.” Diana fiddled with her phone on the countertop.

“You’re really nervous about her, huh?” Barbara sat on one of the stools and poured herself a glass of milk. “I don’t know too much about Akko. The only times I’ve hung around her were when I visited Hannah during the summer. But from what I know, she’s sweet, and fun, maybe a little awkward, but you clearly don’t mind that.”

Diana sighed and looked at her phone again.

“Look, Diana... I could go on and on to convince you how great Akko is and whatnot. But the truth is, I don’t know a whole lot about her either,” Barbara continued. “So, I suggest you figure that out for yourself. Isn’t that your thing?  _ Studying _ ?”

And with that, Barbara offered Diana a sly wink before heading up to her room and leaving Diana with her mutilated toast. As far as she was concerned, Akko was only working the morning shift, and she hadn’t suggested another time for them to hang out, which could mean Akko would be able to hang out after. It was a stretch. After all, who wouldn’t be tired after work? Worse comes to worst, Diana could just sit at the bar again and have a drink with Akko.

* * *

Diana stood by the bar top in her little sun dress, perfect for the Hawaiian weather. The music blared, and once again, Akko hadn’t noticed her. Diana watched as Akko washed glasses in the bar tubs. She seemed a little tired. Her clothing wasn’t as ‘spiffy’ like last time. This time, Akko was wearing simple blue jean shorts and a blue and gray flannel, but she was still adorable nonetheless. Diana wondered if it was a bad time to hang out with Akko, considering how tired she looked, and how it was already close to 5pm. But she was here already—might as well make the most of it.

Diana took a deep breath to calm the nerves in her stomach. “Hello there.”

Despite the loud music and the fact that Akko was busy doing something, she heard Diana. Immediately, the corners of her mouth pulled into a huge smile. There was... no way someone could ever be known as shallow with a smile like that. There was no way that someone, who was a notorious flirt, would literally drag you into their old-looking truck after work and start driving god knows where.

Diana watched as the numerous trees and greenery on the side of the road passed by. The Big Island only really had one main highway. Everything else was just small roads, either dirt or concrete. Trees and bushes grew freely on the sides, greenery that Diana hadn’t ever seen in her life. Akko drove with the windows down, and the wind blowing nicely into the old truck. 

Diana’s eyes lingered on the girl next to her. The brunette hair blowing wildly around her and crimson eyes morphing into a bright ruby-red in the sunlight. She drove with one hand resting on the wheel and the other laying at the edge of her door. Typically, Diana would have scolded people for not driving properly, but it wasn’t like they were barreling down a busy highway—they were just cruising on through Hawaii. She didn’t know where they were going, but it sure was pretty.

“You wanna pick some music?” Akko briefly glanced to the side before turning back to the road.

“Pardon?” Diana almost jumped out of her seat. She needed to be more careful about staring or zoning out, it was happening much more frequently now than ever in her life. Maybe she was starting to get used to the island vibes and enjoying the moment.

“Music,” Akko repeated. She shifted over to one side and pulled her phone out of her back pocket, handing it to Diana. “You liked that jazz stuff I was playing last time so I can’t help but wonder what you like. Oh! Here, let me unlock it.”

Akko pressed her thumb to the home button on the smartphone, unlocking it. Beneath all of the apps, Diana saw a picture of Akko at the beach with Hannah, Amanda, and a few other people that Diana hadn’t met. It must’ve been an old photo since Akko didn’t have her tattoo.

“This is a nice photo,” Diana said while looking at the group enjoying their time at the beach, it reminded her of the photo of her parents. She wished she could have photos of herself like this. “When was this?”

“We were in highschool when we took that picture,” Akko began to explain, “It wasn’t a lot, but every now and then, we would ditch school and go to the beach when the surf was nice. Our teachers always knew. They probably did the same thing when they were young. But as long as it wasn’t excessive and we got our work done, they didn’t complain much.”

“Cute…” Diana muttered to herself as she scrolled through Akko’s music. She wasn’t surprised to see such an extensive music selection. There was reggae, pop, alternative, even classical pieces that she’s heard before. “You have a lot of music.”

“Well, I got a lot of time on my hands.”

Diana smiled and hit the shuffle button. Whatever came up, would come up.

**_I know I messed up and it might be over!_ **

**_But let me call you when I'm sober_ **

The music instantly boomed from the speakers, startling the two women in the truck. Diana launched herself from her seat to turn down the music. After frantically fumbling, the blonde managed to turn down the volume.

“I am so sorry!” Diana quickly apologized, “I had no clue the music would be…”

“Pfft…” Akko covered her mouth.

“Akko?” Diana cocked her head to the side. She really had no idea that the music would be that loud, but in hindsight maybe she should’ve taken a second look at the volume… All thoughts were quickly diminished when Akko exploded with laughter. Diana sat there, completely perplexed over what was going on and why she was laughing so hard.

“I have never seen anyone move so quickly,” Akko heaved out through breaths, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry…” Akko continued to laugh. “I shoulda told you that my volume was loud. I was really tired this morning, so I blasted my music to motivate me to get to work. Good song choice by the way, would’ve never pegged you as a blink-182 fan.”

“Am I too much of a  _ princess? _ ” Diana asked as she adjusted the volume to an adequate level.

“N-no!” Akko stuttered, “I meant that, like, you know? Like, I don’t know what kinda music people listen to in the UK. I mean, I assume you’re not head banging to Beethoven’s Kreutzer—that is a banger, by the way—but like you guys probably…”

Akko continued and Diana just watched as she rambled on and on. How can some be this dorky and adorable be considered a flirt? Unbelievable. It was now Diana’s turn to laugh, quickly silencing Akko’s rant..

“Akko, it’s ok. I understand,” Diana interrupted. “After seeing your playlist, I would be surprised if you didn’t know that sonata. Were you up early surfing before your shift?”

“No, I actually worked last night. I got back at about two this morning.”

“Two?” Diana repeated in surprise. “Akko, had I known that, I would’ve let you go home to sleep.”

“Aw, don’t worry about it, Diana.” Akko waved off. “It happens, I can sleep any other time.” Diana frowned as Akko continued to drive. She was starting to feel a little bad for just popping up at Akko’s work place without texting or calling to make sure she was ok to go. “I’m assuming you’ve been to Hilo since that’s where the college is.” Akko briefly glanced at her before turning back to the road. “Have you been downtown?”

Actually, Diana had never really left the college. Since it was right next to Hilo town, she never had a reason to go any farther—Barbara usually did the errand running for her.

“I haven’t, actually… Akko are you sure that this is ok?” Diana asked. “I can only imagine how tired you are.”

Akko looked over at her and grinned. “Diana, really, it’s alright. I had plans of coming to get you this morning anyway. We might have to cut our plans short today, but we can save some for another day.”

While Diana still felt bad, she conceded to Akko’s words. “So where are we going?”

“Have you eaten yet? Do you like fish?”

“Yes, I do, actually. I didn’t have a chance to eat dinner before I left.”

“But do you like  _ fish _ ?” Akko asked again with more emphasis. “Not fried fish, like fresh fish, straight off the boat?”

“I’ve had sushi before?”

“Close enough!” Akko continued to drive. “There’s this place called Suisan. It’s a fish market, and they have the best poke bowls.”

“Po-keh?”

Akko giggled. “It sounds kinda bad, but hearing someone not from Hawai’i say Hawaiian words is kinda funny. Anyways, it’s just fresh fish piled on a bowl of hot rice. It’s good, trust me.”

Akko grinned towards her again, and Diana never felt more at ease. She smiled back and looked out the window, continuing to take in the scenery. They were well past Hilo town by this point and entering a smaller community of local shops and house-looking businesses. Diana could smell the ocean in the air as they drove by Hilo Bay. Downtown Hilo looked old, almost like Pahoa town. Diana could imagine that these buildings were also the same ones from long ago, during the plantation days. The entire Big Island was just one historical sight. Of course, Hawai’i wasn’t all perfect. There was still homelessness and crime, and whatnot. Hawai’i was just as real as any other place in the world, but from what Diana’s experienced, it wasn’t as bad or as blatant. Overall, it was very communal, and everyone seemed to know each other someway or somehow. The air was always fresh, the sun was always gentle and warm, and the environment always seemed to be brimming with life.

Akko took a few more turns until finally parallel parking on the side of the street, across from a shack-like building sitting next to a boat dock.

“We’re here,” Akko said, popping her keys out of the ignition, “I used to go here a lot with my papa as a kid.”

Diana stepped out of the vehicle and looked at the building. It definitely seemed old, much like most of the architecture around here. She took a deep breath of the ocean air; she couldn’t get enough of it—it was so sweet and calming.

“We better hurry, they’re gonna close soon. And I’d rather not be like those people who come in and ruin the closing of a place, y’know?” Akko stepped out of her truck, looking up and down the street for cars. When the coast was clear, Diana followed her across the street and into the building.

Almost immediately, “Eh! Akko, howzit?” an old man called from behind the plastic dividers.

Diana stepped inside and looked around. There were fish and other types of seafood everywhere in the small area. Diana could see freshly caught fish laying in ice for everyone to see. There were cubed fish that were marinated in some sort of sauce and covered with sesame seeds and ingredients that Diana had never really seen before. Sushi had been the extent of Diana’s knowledge of fresh fish being eaten raw.

“Howzit, uncle. Am I too late? You still have poke bowls?” Akko asked, inspecting what fish was left over.

“Yeah, and I can make a couple more. Most of the fish sold this morning, but I got some left.” The old man stepped before the fish selections. “Whatchu like?”

“Mmm…” Akko peered at the assortment for a moment before looking over at Diana, who still stood, looking at the dead fish laying on the ice. She’d been to fish markets before, so it wasn’t much different than what she’s seen, but she was intrigued nonetheless. “Hey, Diana.” Akko nudged her hand, waking Diana from her observations. She pointed to the cubed pieces of fish under the glass. “This is poke.”

“Oh, sorry, I was distracted.” Diana sheepishly smiled and walked over to where Akko was standing. She looked over at the little labels sticking out from the piles of poke. “I’m not sure what any of this means…”

“Oh yeah, you’ve never had this before, huh?” Akko looked back to the selection in deep thought. “Do you like shoyu?”

“Shoyu?”

“Uhh… Soy sauce!”

“Yes, I don’t mind it.”

“Perfect.” Akko smiled. “We’ll just have two shoyu ahi poke bowls.”

“Awright.” The old man grinned, grabbed two plastic bowls, and filled it with steaming hot rice. He then headed over to the poke selection and scooped a few hefty spoonfuls onto the rice. “You guys like sides?”

“Nah, no need,” Akko replied. She grabbed her wallet and pulled out some cash. “All together too.”

“I can pay for mine Akko, I-“

Akko placed her money on the counter by the cash register and smiled at Diana. “Don’t worry about it, I have some tip money that I save just for stuff like this. Plus, I’m taking you out. Keep the rest, uncle.”

The old man waved happily and put the rest of the money in the tip jar. Akko grabbed both bowls as well as a fork and two pairs of chopsticks. She then walked outside with Diana in tow. Diana looked back at the man, waving in return as they left. Akko looked nothing like him, and it was curious that their transaction was still more about business than familial.

“Is that man really your uncle?” Diana couldn’t help but ask.

“Oh! Not blood related, but he knows my papa and my grams.” Akko looked around as if deciding what to do next. She began moving down the street, with Diana now right beside her. “In Hawaii, it’s like a sign of respect, just not so formal, ya know? Like everyone can be considered family here one way or another so that’s how we refer to each other.”

“Interesting…” Diana looked ahead of her and under the shade of massive banyan trees, Diana saw a beautiful open garden. “Where are we?”

“This is Lili’uokalani Gardens.” Akko smiled as she ushered to the vast space. It was lush and filled with trees and shrubs. Black lava rocks stuck out from under the grass and there was a large pond that stretched and winded throughout the middle of the garden, so large that there were two bridges that connected both sides of the pond. There was Japanese architecture spread out all over the place. If Hawaii didn’t have such a long history with Asian cultures, then Diana would have been surprised at the style choice.

Diana felt a tug at her hand. “Come on.” Akko grinned and walked to one of the bridges that included a mini pavilion with two benches and a roof.

When the two got there, Akko sat down first and Diana sat across from her. It was a quiet area; Diana wouldn’t mind studying here at all. She could see a few tourists in the distance taking pictures of the scenery, and a few other locals walking around and hanging out in their own spaces. Akko handed Diana her food as well as the fork and one pair of chopsticks. Diana could feel the heat of the rice through the plastic bowl against her thighs. She could see the pile of poke through the clear, plastic lid. She’d never felt more excited about food until now.

“I brought both just in case you didn’t know how to use chopsticks.” She smiled at first but quickly looked worried. “Oh, I guess I should’ve asked you that first before assuming. I.. Uh… Do you know how to use chopsticks?”

Diana smiled and grabbed the chopsticks. She pulled them apart and held them expertly. Akko’s worried expression slowly pulled into a smile. Diana had never felt so confident in front of a total stranger. Most of the time, her confidence was a façade, but right now she was perfectly comfortable. She pulled the plastic lid off and perfectly picked up a piece of fish.

“Am I doing it right?” she asked slyly. At this point, Akko was smiling from ear to ear.

“Perfect,” Akko replied. Diana felt her face heat up, and the butterflies in her stomach were beginning to flutter uncontrollably. There was no way that this girl could be known as a ‘flirt’, she was just too adorable and dorky. Akko must’ve realized something because she quickly blinked and looked away. She grabbed her own food and pair of chopsticks. “A-after you.”

Diana smiled and placed the piece of fish in her mouth. She could instantly tell it was fresh, there wasn’t a frozen taste to it or flavor that indicated it’d been handled by many people. She looked down at her food, noticing a few other ingredients. Yellow onion, sesame seeds, and tiny bits of seaweed and green onion. Diana quickly grabbed another piece, this time with some rice. She brought it to her lips and took a bite. It was even better than the last.

“You like it?” Akko asked with her mouth full of food, and her bowl already halfway gone.

Diana swallowed and smiled. “Yes, I feel like I’ve never had fish so fresh before.”

“Whew, thank goodness.” Akko picked up another pile of food with her chopsticks and shoved it in her mouth. “I was worried you would think it’s slimy or something. A lot of people who aren’t used to fish think it’s slimy. They’re crazy.”

Diana hummed in agreement and kept eating. Akko must’ve been extremely hungry because she quickly placed her now-empty bowl off to the side and sighed, “So, you’re here for college, right? Med student? That’s what Hannah told us. Why here, besides having a good medical program? I’m sure there are other good med colleges out there, ones a lot closer to or on the mainland.”

“It was something new, something I have never experienced before,” Diana admitted as she placed her chopsticks on the bowl, “Despite being a part of America, Hawaii is largely a different place. I’ve lived my life doing the same thing every day for years. I felt that maybe I should experience new things. My parents came here when they were younger and loved it. I thought maybe I would love it too.”

“I see.” Akko leaned forward towards Diana. She seemed like she was actually interested in what was being said. It was nice to say the least. “Well… do you love it?”

Diana felt her heart beat just a bit faster. The sun was sinking behind the mountains in the distance, casting shadows from even the smallest blade of grass, but creating cotton candy-colored clouds in the sky. The soft ebbing of the ocean just yards away from her, and the serene garden surrounding them made for a time that Diana wanted to remember forever. Absolutely nothing could take away the earnest look Akko was giving her in that very moment. Diana could take a picture of this girl in front of her, with this exact scenery, but it would never compare to the moment itself. Which was absolutely crazy! Diana had just met this girl and was completely blown away. It scared her, it amazed her, it was a plethora of feelings that Diana couldn’t help but smile at.

“I do love it,” Diana answered simply. She had to look away, she had to hide her face from the bright smile pointed in her direction.

“Good,” Akko replied and leaned back against the bench, “I’m glad.”

Diana placed the lid back on the top of her bowl after moving the chopsticks out of the way. It was a bit too much food for her. Plus, she wanted to enjoy the view around and in front of her.

* * *

“You and Hannah live together, right?” Akko asked as they drove away from the gardens. It was getting dark, and as much as Diana wanted to stay out longer, she couldn’t keep Akko from getting to bed any longer. Despite how many times Akko told Diana that she was fine, the other girl couldn’t quite stop herself from yawning in every sentence she tried to speak.

“Yes, do you know where that is?”

“Yeah, I’ve been there before to help her move in.” Akko rolled down the windows to let the brisk, night air blow in. “I’ll get you home.”

As beautiful as Hawaii was during the day, it was a bit spooky at night. There weren't a lot of street lights aside from the ones on the main road. Additionally, the image of overgrown trees looked a little intimidating in the night, but the night was still calm, and the air was still nice and cool. Really, Diana loved it here—she really meant that when she told Akko. On the drive home, Akko played light lo-fi music, and Diana could feel her body relaxing. She didn’t even work, but she could already feel her fatigue setting in. Before Diana knew it, she was in front of the house that she, Hannah, and Barbara rented together.

After unbuckling her seat belt, she hopped out of the truck. Once Diana had closed the door, she looked at Akko, who was waiting patiently. “I had fun today. Thank you for hanging out with me.”

“You don’t have to thank me. It’s no problem at all.” Akko looked down at her phone and around her car; she looked at everything except Diana. “I… wouldn’t mind doing it again if you’re free?”

Diana smiled softly. “Well, you did say you had to cut your initial plans for today. I’m curious as to what those other plans were.”

Akko’s grin grew, and Diana couldn’t get enough of it. “For sure. I’ll text you then.”

Diana giggled, “Good night, Akko.” Her hair whipped briefly through the air as she spun around and walked to her front door. She assumed Akko was still there because she was waiting for her to get safely inside. Diana could appreciate a friend like that.

“Sleep well,” Akko called out once Diana opened her door. She waved back as Akko drove off into the night.

After shutting and locking the front door behind her, Diana quietly made her way around the house. She was thankful that Barbara and Hannah were seemingly asleep since she wanted time to herself to process her time with Akko. She could tell them about their outing some other time. Diana pulled herself upstairs to her room and shut the door. Once there, she collapsed on her bed and hugged her pillow close to her body. She hadn’t been here long or experienced a whole lot quite yet, but damn, did she love it already. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Suisan actually closes at 3pm. ;) As you might have noticed, I'll be using the way I naturally speak in Hawaii. I'll try and keep track of words that people may not know and have a key for it with each chapter. I tried to be as descriptive as I could about my home, unfortunately, I'm not that great at that. Hopefully I can capture the Big Island as best as I can, for everyone.Thanks for reading everyone! I hope that I'm putting out quality chapters for ya'll!


	6. Chapter 6

**_20:01 Akko Kagari:_ ** I forgot to ask, but if you’re not busy tomorrow, do you wanna do the second half of what I had planned?

**_20:01 Diana Cavendish:_ ** I would love to.

**_20:02 Akko Kagari:_ ** Sweet! I’ll pick you up around 10

**_20:02 Diana Cavendish:_ ** I’ll be ready.

**_20:03 Akko Kagari:_ ** Oh! Bring clothes you don’t mind getting dirty in!

**_20:06 Diana Cavendish:_ ** Understood.

* * *

Akko leaned against the passenger door of her truck and played on her phone as she waited outside for Diana. She may have been a little too excited and didn’t get any sleep the previous night. Even Mayhem couldn’t stand being in Akko’s apartment for too long and decided to find another alley way to lounge in while she was tossing around in bed. She didn’t expect hanging out with Diana to be so much fun. If Akko was being honest, she thought it was going to be kind of boring. Diana didn’t know anything about Hawai’i, and Akko was awkward around people outside of the bar, outside of her bartender persona. She didn’t even expect Diana to have shown up at the bar after Akko pretty much flaked out at the last minute because she decided to pick up a shift. But there she’d been, at Akko’s bar asking if they could still go out. Akko hoped that she would get lucky again and have another chill day with her.

Akko heard the door open and close, causing her to immediately look up, hoping to see Diana. “What are you doing here?” Instead, it was Hannah.

“I’m here to pick up Diana,” Akko pushed herself off of the truck and put her phone back in her pocket, “I’m taking her to the farm.”

Hannah gawked once the words left Akko’s mouth. “The farm?!” The redhead huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. “That’s our place. I bet she won’t even appreciate it.”

Akko cocked her head to the side. “It’s my papa’s place, and she’s a med student—I’m sure she’ll appreciate all the medicinal ways to use Hawaiian plants.”

“Does papa even know you’re going there?” Hannah quickly shot back.

Akko squinted her eyes and furrowed her brows. What was with this questioning? Hannah and their friends have been to her papa’s farm only a few times in their lives. “It’s my papa’s farm, Hannah... I don’t think I need permission to go there…”

“Do whatever you want, Akko.” She huffed and brushed past Akko.

Akko stood there for a while, watching her climb into her car and drive away. Hannah used to be so chill when they were younger. Akko wondered what had happened in those four years while she was gone—she’d have to ask Amanda later. But until then…

Her attention was pulled when she heard the door open again.

“Hiya…” Akko smiled. Even in running shorts and an old Manchester United shirt, Diana was so pretty.

“Hello, Akko,” Diana giggled and adjusted her hair, which was tied back in a loose ponytail. “So where to today?”

Holy crap. Akko couldn’t believe that someone as cool as this girl would ever want to hang out with a beach bum like her. Akko cleared her throat and her mind. That didn’t matter now, especially now, when Diana was walking down the steps towards her. “Uh, we’re going to my papa’s farm. Despite what most people think, there’s  _ way _ more to the island than just the beaches,” she said.

Akko walked around to her side of the truck, opened her door, and then reached over to unlock Diana’s door.

“You have a farm?” Diana asked as she climbed into the vehicle.

“I don’t. I just help out whenever my papa and grams need extra hands. But, it’s all theirs.” Akko started the truck and began driving once Diana had her seat belt fastened—safety first. “Or is there something else you would rather do?”

“No! I’m completely fine with whatever you have in mind!” she quickly replied. Akko was almost surprised at the urgency; it made her smile to see Diana excited to come to her papa’s farm. After all, her papa was one of the greatest people in the world. “Are you related to your papa? Or is that just another term of respect?” Inquired Diana.

“Nah, he’s actually my grandpa,” Akko answered, taking a turn back onto the main highway. Her papa lived in a place called Mountain View. It wasn’t actually in the mountains, but it was kind of cold up there. But then again, cold in Hawaii is about 60 degrees. So, it balanced out somehow. “My papa moved here with his family way back in like the 1920’s, and started a farm. It’s kinda a long story. I’ll tell you about it some other time, or if my papa is around, he’ll tell you.”

“He might not be there?” Diana raised a brow. “Are you sure that’s ok?”

Akko rolled her eyes, but unlike her questioning from Hannah, she was fine with Diana asking that. The blonde didn’t know any better, and probably hasn’t been to a farm like this before. “It’s fine. He likes it when we drop by, and even if he’s not there, we’ll pick some lilikoi for him and leave it at the door.”

“Lilikoi?”

Akko had to stop herself from laughing. Diana using her English accent to pronounce Hawaiian words was strangely cute. Akko had the same problem going to the mainland and having a  _ slight  _ Hawaiian.

“It’s a fruit,” she explained, “It’s this tiny, little yellow thing that tastes sweet and sour all at the same time.”

Diana chuckled, “That sounds like an experience.”

“It’ll be different, for sure.” Akko smiled and slowed down her car; the roads to where her papa lived were narrow and curvy. “I think you’re really gonna like the farm.”

“I look forward to it.” Diana adjusted her seat and looked out the window.

Akko couldn’t wait to show Diana the farm. She wasn’t really the farmer type—she loved the ocean too much—but she liked being outdoors, and she liked being around nature. She liked swimming in the creek and hiking the trails surrounding the property, looking at the rows and rows of plants. It was filled with a massive variety of native Hawaiian plants. When Akko was younger, she would pick the lilikoi fruits from the tree and eat them. She wanted to show Diana more than just the deep blue and food that she could enjoy in Hawaii. If Diana spent so much time in Hilo or at the college, then she definitely needed some sort of nature walk. Akko glanced over to her. The blonde seemed so entranced by the trees and little houses that passed by during their drive. Akko felt a little envious. She grew up in Hawaii, so she knows this island like the back of her hand—nothing is new to her. But to the other girl, everything is new, everything is different. She wondered how Diana saw her humble little island, and she wondered what it would be like to see her home through Diana’s eyes.

A left turn onto a gravel road led to her papa’s farm. She noticed that the gate was still locked, meaning her papa probably wasn’t home. Akko parked the truck and left it running while she stepped out. “I’m gonna unlock the gate. Ya mind pulling the truck all the way through?”

Diana hesitated for a moment. “You want me to drive your truck?”

“Can you… not drive?” Akko chuckled.

“No, no. I just…” Diana rolled her eyes and scoffed playfully. “Yes, I can drive your truck.”

“Sweet!” Akko jogged to the gate and put in her code for the lock. Once she heard the click, she swung open the gate for Diana to drive through. Akko wanted to laugh. It wasn’t that she looked silly driving her truck, it just didn’t seem like the kind of thing that someone like Diana would drive. She seemed like the type who would have nice, classic cars. Akko could imagine her pulling up in something like a 1960's Impala. Diana smiled as she drove by and Akko just shook her head. She decided to leave the gate open—she’d just close when they leave.

“Alright, park it and move on over Dia—” Akko spun around to see her truck still driving down the gravel road… without her. “You’re kidding me…”

Since Diana showed no intent on stopping the truck, Akko took off in a full-blown sprint, as if she was running after a soccer ball on a breakaway. She could almost hear Diana laughing at her as she drove away. As Akko picked up speed and started closing in on  _ her  _ truck. When she was close enough, she launched herself off of the ground and latched herself onto the driving seat door, only holding onto the top of the car with her feet on the truck side step.

“HA!” Akko roared triumphantly.

“Akko!” Diana’s smug grin quickly disappeared, turning into a look of horror when she saw her jubilant smirk. Akko could feel the truck lurch forward a bit, and she almost lost her footing. It was a good thing that Diana was smart enough to know that this was the type of road not to speed on because if she was driving fast, Akko would’ve been thrown off the truck by now. “Are you crazy?!”

Akko just laughed. “Keep driving. The house is just up the road.”

“Akko, you’re literally hanging outside of the car—just let me park it!”

“No, no, no, no, no!” Akko relaxed against the truck and grinned. “Don’t worry, Diana. Just relax. This is fun!” Akko must’ve said something right because the said girl really did seem to loosen up. Her shoulders slumped a bit, and her look of apprehension fell away to something akin to gratification. “Look at you driving down a rugged road in a truck! We’ll make a Big Island girl out of you yet.”

Diana simply glanced to the side and smiled as Akko took a deep breath and absorbed the scents of the fresh mountain air and lush plants. The wind gently blew through her long brunette hair as they came up upon the old house. It was a small house. After all, the only people who had lived there were her grandparents and, at one point, her father and uncle—both of whom had long left the old house. The house itself may not have looked like much, but that was fine because it was the property that Akko always enjoyed exploring.

“Just park it right there.” Akko pointed to the old car garage that was mostly filled with broken car parts and rusted tools. Her papa was the type to always say, ‘I don’t need a new one, this one is still good’ despite having hammerheads fly off of the handle during work. Nodding, Diana slowed the car down enough for Akko to hop off and watch her park the truck.

“Is this ok?” Diana poked her head out of the window to look back at her, only for Akko to give a thumbs up.

Diana did seem like the perfectionist, or at least, a really good driver. Most of the time, Akko would park her truck any way she wanted next to the garage, as long as it wasn’t in the way of other cars. Diana stepped out of the truck. “I’m assuming you intend to put me to work on the farm since you asked me to wear clothing I wouldn’t mind getting dirty in.”

“Heck no!” Akko beamed, motioning for Diana to follow her. “We haven’t had a big rainfall for a couple days, so I thought you wouldn’t mind a short hike. If my papa was here, then he’d definitely put us to work.”

It only took a few steps away from the garage for both Akko and Diana to be standing in rows of native Hawaiian plants. Plants like awapuhi, ohi’a lehua trees, hala trees, amaumau ferns, hapu’u, lauhala, ti leaves, and so on. Usually, Akko eyes would linger over the rows of plants and trees, including the greenery that grew naturally around the farm, even before the property was claimed long ago. But, she couldn’t help but peek to the side at Diana, who stood in awe. Again, Akko would love to see her home through the eyes of Diana Cavendish. Would she be just as appreciative despite the lack of sentimental memories?

“Well…” She gently nudged Diana’s arm. “Shall we?”

When she received a nod, Akko giggled and led the way down the first row. She didn’t bother to speak; she could see Diana’s eyes sweeping from plant to plant, tree to tree, each one getting a few seconds of undivided attention, as if she were studying the words of a textbook.

_ Wow…  _ Akko thought. She smiled to herself, feeling undeniably proud of not only herself, but for being able to live on this island. She began picking ti leaves on their walk, Diana didn’t even seem to notice until they came across the awapuhi plants.

“What are these?” Diana poked the reddish-orange colored bulb that had yet to sprout into a flower.

“It’s called awapuhi.” Akko looked over her shoulder as she was still collecting ti leaves. “It’s kinda like ginger. That bulb you’re looking at has this sticky sap inside that can be used like a shampoo or conditioner for your hair. The roots can be grounded and used to treat stomach pains and toothaches. And, the leaves can be used for cooking.”

“All that just from this?” Diana held her knuckles underneath her chin and further inspected the plant. “That’s very resourceful. I wonder how Hawaiians figured out so many uses for a single plant.”

Akko shrugged and when she was finished picking enough ti leaves, she went to Diana’s side. “I don’t know too much about that or all the plants used back in ancient times here. But, I can guarantee you that nothing ever goes to waste when it comes to the Hawaiians.”

“I can see that…” Diana nodded, turning away from the plants and back to her. “What are those leaves you’re carrying?”

Akko raised the bunch of ti leaves that she’d picked. “They’re ti leaves. You’ve probably seen hula dancers wear them as skirts.  _ Real  _ hula hula skirts. They’re used for wrappings too—like food and all of that good stuff, but we often use them for making leis and other adornments. In Hawaiian culture, they’re known to have intense spiritual energy, things like good luck and warding off bad spirits.”

Diana reached out and gingerly touched the wide, green leaves. “They’re pretty. Why did you pick them?”

“I wanna show you how to make a lei!” Akko immediately plopped herself on the damp and muddy ground. “So the first thing you do is—”

A buzzing came, and for a moment, Akko thought it was her phone, but she had been conditioned to leave her phone by the house whenever she was at the farm. Otherwise, she would get scolding from her papa for having a distraction in her pocket while working on the farm. Even if her papa wasn’t around, she wasn’t keen on the idea of possibly getting caught with her phone out in the field. She would have to tell Diana that if she ever wanted to bring her to the farm when her papa was around. Akko glanced in the direction of the noise to find Diana pulling out her phone and answering it.

“Hello? I’m out with Akko now… Is that so?” Diana frowned. “You need me now…?” Akko’s heart dropped; she didn’t need any explanation. Diana seemed like the type that people would alway call if they needed help. So, Akko stood and picked up all of the ti leaves. “Alright… I’ll be back soon… Goodbye.”

Diana hung up her phone. “Akko…”

“S’alright.” She gave a sympathetic smile. “We can do this next time.”

“Can we, please?” Diana reached out and placed her hand on Akko’s shoulders. “I would love to see the rest of the farm with you.”

Akko could feel her heart leap to her throat. “Y-yeah… For sure!”

Diana smiled and Akko didn’t even care if their time was cut short again, it was worth it just to see her look so calm and happy. Diana’s hands moved from her shoulders and grabbed the bundle of ti leaves from her hands before walking back to the truck.

“You wanted to keep these, yes?” Diana craned her neck over her shoulder and gave a cheeky grin.

Akko had to mentally kick herself back into reality. That grin suited the blonde far too much for her own good. “Yeah! Just put it in the back of the truck.”

Akko was about to run to catch up to her again when she remembered something.

“You can start the truck, Diana. I’ll be there soon. DON’T LEAVE ME THIS TIME!”

Akko could hear her burst out into laughter as she spun around. Quickly, Akko sprinted down the end of the row and picked some lilikoi from her papa’s lilikoi tree. It was perfect timing; the fruits felt perfectly ripened. She hoped Diana would like them. After grabbing a few handfuls, she made her way back to the house. Akko could hear the truck rumbling idly as she laid the fruit in front of her papa’s door, remembering to keep one for Diana.

“What’s that for?” Diana asked as Akko slid into the front seat and tossed the fruit to her.

“For you. It’s lilikoi,” said Akko, backing out and driving down the gravel road. The other girl inspected the fruit for a couple minutes, which only served to make Akko giggle. “Just bite into it.”

“Even through the rind?”

“Yup!”

Diana looked at Akko before biting into the tiny, yellow fruit. Instantly, Diana’s face puckered, and Akko had to contain her laughter as she watched the blonde’s face go through various expressions as she chewed. It was a long shot—not everybody liked the taste of lilikoi. For some, it was too sour, for people like Akko and her papa, it was a perfect combination of sweet and sour. After another few moments, Diana’s face relaxed, and Akko could only guess that she’d finally tasted the sweetness.

“I don’t know if I hate you or not,” Diana simply said, and Akko couldn’t hold it in anymore. The brunette burst out laughing as Diana practically pouted at her.

* * *

Akko parked the car in front of Diana’s house. “What are you going to do with all those leaves?” Diana asked as she peered to the truck bed at the stack of ti leaves Akko had picked.

Akko wanted to give a full lesson to Diana on how to prepare lei making, but she didn’t mind explaining the gist for now. “I’m gonna separate the leaves from the spine and wilt them a bit. Then, I can teach you how to braid them and make a lei. Why?”

“I was wondering if I can keep one?” Diana requested before opening her door and getting out of the truck.

Akko grinned and hopped out as well. She immediately went to the bed of her truck and searched for the cleanest, greenest-looking ti leaf. “Ah!” Declared Akko as she found the nicest looking one. She walked around to Diana and presented the ti leaf.

“You said it’s like good luck, right?” Diana repeated. “And they ward off spirits?”

“Yup!” Akko nodded. Her smile grew, knowing that Diana was listening to her during her mini plant lecture. “When we make the leis, you can hang them in your room!”

Diana smiled and brushed her thumb along the spine of the leaf. “With medical school, I’ll take all that I can. Thank you.”

“Of course!” Akko reassured. “You don’t have to thank me. I’m more than happy to show you around!”

“I can tell,” Diana giggled. “Till next time?”

“Yeah…” Akko felt so strangely calm as she looked into her eyes. It was like she was out on the ocean with her board. She’d never felt so relaxed with anyone before. Typically, the most tranquil Akko ever felt was when she was by herself, doing her own thing. It had been a while since she’d felt so steady with another person. “Text me sometime. For anything…”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Diana quipped before turning around and heading back to her house. Like the night before, Akko waited until Diana opened the door and waved at her before closing it.

_ Unbelievable…  _ Akko thought. She was about to walk back to the driver’s side of the truck when she accidentally bumped into Hannah.

“Back here again, Akko?” Hannah challenged as she stepped into Akko’s personal space.

_ Oh great… _

Just when she was having all kinds of good vibes in her system…

Akko attempted to back away, but only managed to pin herself against her own truck. “I mean, I have to drop Diana back off.”

“Oh, you didn’t take her back to your place?” Hannah continued to dig. “Or maybe let her use your board again? Because Kagari Atsuko doesn’t let anyone use her board,” she mentioned sarcastically.

She wasn’t exactly wrong. That board was Akko’s most prized possession, a gift from her papa. She’d never let anyone ride her board before—Diana was the only one she’d ever let ride it. But, Hannah had her own board and didn’t even like short board surfing, so what was the problem?

Akko rolled her eyes. “Diana didn’t have a board, and she looked like she was interested. I doubt you would’ve let her use your board.”

“She doesn’t even know how to surf!”

“That’s why _ I _ was gonna show her!”

“But you let her use your board?! You don’t even let Amanda use your board!”

“Amanda has her own board too!” Akko didn’t even realize she was yelling at this point; she took a moment to calm her nerves. Hannah was really taking away her good vibes. “Honestly, who cares, Hannah? It’s not a big deal.”

“It is a big deal. And now you took her to your papa’s farm?”

“Again with this?” Akko sighed. “What, I can’t show Diana around our home?”

“This hasn’t been your home for four years, Akko!” Hannah finally shouted. “You left! Without any care for any of your friends—half of us didn’t even know you were leaving until you were packing your bags!”

“I told you guys I wanted to leave.”

Hannah rolled her eyes and huffed. “Congratulations, Akko. You left. You did your thing. You got drunk. You played sports. You went to school. You had your college experience. But you know what? You’re back now, and you’re back to your old bullshit.”

Akko felt her body heat up. A plethora of emotions filled her body, and none of them were good.

“The fuck did you say?” Akko leered. Akko never thought of herself as a violent person, even if she was targeted on the soccer field. She wasn’t the type to lash out and get into pointless fights, but right now, Akko was pissed.

Hannah must’ve noticed she hit a nerve because she was quick to tone down her voice, but she wasn’t quite over with her rant yet. “You left your friends and your family, and have nothing to show for it.”

That.

Would have pissed anyone off.

But for Akko, she was struck by the guilt that she’d held onto since graduating college. She really had nothing to show for it. She was so focused on leaving the Big Island for so long, that when she finally got to, she ended up coming back. There wasn’t anything wrong with where she lived—she loved it here. But, she couldn’t help but wonder… Was it all a waste of time?

Other than continuing their screaming match, Akko took a deep breath.

“What’s your problem, Hannah?” Akko leaned back against her truck, crossing her arms over her chest. She didn’t glare at Hannah, she wasn’t trying to be mean. She was genuinely concerned and wanted a direct answer for once. “Ever since I left for college, you always find some way to discredit me. For real, what’s up?

Akko watched as Hannah opened and closed her mouth several times—either trying to create a lie or find the right words to tell the truth. 

Hannah sighed out and rubbed her arms. She first looked to the ground, but quickly flashed her eyes to briefly meet Akko’s eyes. “Do you really want me to spell it out for you?”

“Hans, how can I fix something if I don’t know? What’s wrong?” Akko tossed her arms up in the air in defeat.

“You should’ve just stayed home…” Hannah clenched her fists and scoffed. “Never mind, I’m tired. And I have school tomorrow.”

“Are you serious?” Akko rolled her eyes. Despite how much they had all grown, Hannah still managed to act like a petulant child. It was even more apparent now as the auburn-haired girl spun around and stomped up to the door of her house. “Come on—“

And then, she slammed the door behind her.

* * *

Akko always thought that the prettiest blue she had ever seen was the ocean on a nice, calm day. That is, until she saw the setting sun reflected in the eyes of Diana Cavendish. Really, it was just the prettiest blue that Akko had ever seen, more so than the ocean on a clear day. Just… holy smokes…

Akko couldn’t stop thinking about it for the rest of the day. Everything that Hannah said gnawed at her soul, so much that Akko used whatever was left of the day to go to the beach and clear her head.

She was sitting on her board in the middle of the sea. A few waves had passed by her already, and Akko didn’t even care to catch them. She wanted to look at the ocean beneath her and think about the blue eyes of Diana Cavendish. Unbelievable. It made her smile to be able to see Diana smile and be so amazed by her home island. It made her happy knowing she could share this with someone and not be judged on worth. If anything, it made her feel worthy.

Akko was being crushed by a wave, and it was only a matter of time until she would be caught by the undertow. Akko’s had many relationships, and flings. She wasn’t going to deny it—she wasn’t exactly proud of such moments, but it helped her learn the importance of making connections. Too bad she still had a hard time figuring out whether such connections were fact or fiction.

It was scary, honestly. Akko was pretty much a nobody; she was a bartender with a sports and exercise science degree, not even practicing her field like she wanted to. She was content and extremely satisfied with where she was in life, but now with someone like Diana around, Akko just didn’t feel adequate. It felt wrong and right all at the same time. What was so wrong with being content? But… did that mean that she was too lazy to reach for more? At 23 years old, Akko still felt like a kid stumbling in the dark, looking for the right path.

Her parents made everything look so easy when she was younger. Akko had everything she ever wanted or needed growing up. Sure, when she ended up going to the mainland for college, everyone who didn’t grow up the way she did was quick to point out that Akko had missed out on a lot of material things, but Akko was always happy. She was always ambitious, and she was always looking forward to her future. She was so ready to grow up, she wanted nothing more than to get away from the small town and make something of herself.

She just couldn’t stand staying in the shallow waters. She got her sport and exercise science degree and played at the division I level of a big college, but still. She wasn’t satisfied with herself. She was lacking, and it was frustrating because Akko just couldn’t figure it out. She opted to come back home, and she realized that even with all the drive in the world, someone like her still needed gas. But now that she was here and facing someone who had their whole life plotted out, Akko just didn’t feel like she was in the same ballpark as Diana.

Instead, she was feeling like another digit in the system—just another stupid number. Feelings like this often came and went like waves.

Funny how people sometimes want something they can’t have. But it was kind of nice. It had been a while since she felt a little sparked up for something.

Akko sighed and laid forward on her board, getting ready to pull back into shore. She wasn’t catching anything today.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lowkey would love to write them back at the farm because I could talk all day about Hawaiian plants and their uses.


	7. Chapter 7

Diana looped a string around the stem of a ti leaf before draping it around the door knob of her bedroom door. She was a little upset over having to cut her time with Akko short again; apparently, Hannah had forgotten her house keys as she was leaving to get some groceries. But Diana was already looking forward to going back to that farm. It wasn’t particularly big, like other farms that Diana had seen at home, but it was quaint and exceptionally cute. She’d never seen so many colored flowers and trees like that. They looked so lush and full of life. She was definitely going to bring her book bag next time. It was the perfect place to sit outside and study. Plus, Diana wouldn’t mind taking notes on the medicinal purposes of Hawaiian plants to compare them to modern medicine.

She hoped that this was the proper way to treat the ti leaf—she would have to text Akko later to make sure. Diana would love to have all the luck and good vibes she could get so that she could be able to hang out with Akko again.

“She doesn’t even know how to surf!”

“That’s why _ I _ was gonna show her!”

“But you let her use your board?! You don’t even let Amanda use your board!”

“Amanda has her own board too!”

Diana was startled by the yelling outside of her house. One of the two voices sounded much like Akko, and as for the other, she’d heard Hannah yell before, so it wasn’t hard to figure that one out. Diana didn’t want to be the eavesdropping type, but she was rather curious as to what they were yelling about—she was especially curious about what Akko was shouting. If anything, the frustration in her voice was something Diana never would’ve imagined from the brunette. But Akko was just as human as anyone else, so of course she was susceptible to being upset. It was just a little jarring to hear someone so laid back become so agitated.

“Honestly, who cares, Hannah? It’s not a big deal,” Akko said.

“It is a big deal. And now you’ve taken her to your papa’s farm?”

“Again with this?” Diana peeked out her window to see Akko visibly sigh, her shoulders slumping forward. “What, I can’t show Diana around our home?”

“This hasn’t been your home for four years, Akko!” Hannah finally shouted. “You left! Without any care for any of your friends—half of us didn’t even know you were leaving until you were packing your bags!”

“I told you guys I wanted to leave.”

Hannah rolled her eyes and huffed. “Congratulations, Akko. You left. You did your thing. You got drunk. You played sports. You went to school. You had your college experience. But you know what? You’re back now, and you’re back to your old bullshit.”

_ ‘Old bullshit’?  _ Diana thought as she watched. 

She wondered what Hannah meant by that, and she wondered if it really was as bad as Hannah seemingly made it out to be. By the look on Akko’s face, she didn’t look too happy about that statement. In fact, she looked absolutely livid. Akko whispered something that Diana couldn’t quite make out, but she must have made her point because Hannah seemed to back away for a moment. The rest of the conversation was spoken at a much lower volume. Maybe they were apologizing and making up, but Diana decided that it wasn’t her place to be listening in on her roommate and her new friend’s conversation. Instead, Diana sat at her desk and decided to get a head start on studying for the upcoming school week. She was now beginning to get back into the rhythm of school. Her first set of midterms for medical school were coming up in a couple weeks, and she needed to be ready. Otherwise, her ego as a star student would take a big hit—if she got anything less than an A, she would be absolutely devastated.

_ BOOM! _

Diana nearly jumped out of her skin upon hearing the door slam shut. She stayed quiet for a while as she heard Hannah stomp around the house and mumble incoherently. She then heard the roar of Akko’s truck and the rumbling as it drove away from the house. Whatever else was said must’ve been as awful as the yelling.

Diana sighed and went back to studying... until she heard a knock at her door. “Come in,” Diana called out. She looked over her shoulder to see Hannah coming into her room. The two had been close when they lived in the UK with Barbara. Even though Hannah moved away, they stayed in contact throughout the years. Initially, Diana was worried that their relationship might have changed, but it seemed like things were still normal between them because Hannah plopped down on her bed, ready to vent.

Hannah sighed and calmed down a bit. “Were you and Barbara upset when I left?” she asked with a seriousness that Diana forgot Hannah was capable of. “Did you think that maybe it was a dumb decision for me to leave?”

Diana spun her chair around to face the redhead. “We were upset when you left, but that’s because we missed you. We all grew up together; it was like having a piece of us go.” Diana took a minute to think. Given the argument she had just heard, she assumed Hannah was looking for some sort of justification. “But really, Hannah, we wanted whatever you wanted. We trusted your choice to leave because that’s what you wanted, and it worked, right? Weren’t you happier here?”

Hannah huffed, but relaxed. “I guess I was happier here than in England.”

Diana smiled and walked over to sit on her bed beside Hannah. “You seem happier.”

“Yeah… you’re right,” Hannah sighed. “Anyways, how was your day with Akko? Sorry I pulled you back home—she told me you were getting to see the farm. We used to hang out there when we were in high school.”

“Yes, it was quite beautiful. I hope to go back there,” Diana admitted. She then pointed to the ti leaf hanging around her door knob. “Akko said that she was going to teach me how to make a lei next time.”

Hannah seemed to stiffen for a moment. “She… does that now and then for everyone. She’s nice like that.” She stood from the bed and began making her way out of the room, but not before turning around to give Diana a playful smile. “Be careful, lots of people love Akko,” she warned.

Diana just chuckled lightly. She didn’t quite understand what Hannah meant by that, so she took it as just a joke. Akko was exceptionally attractive, and had a lovely personality, but they had just met. As far as Diana was concerned, they were just friends. “I’ll be sure to remember that.”

Hannah walked out of the room and shut the door behind her. Diana didn’t think much about the argument after that, nor did she put much thought into Hannah’s little crisis. Being upset about Hannah leaving and just being sad that she was gone were two different feelings that Diana and Barbara were careful not to get upset about when they were younger. Like any good friends, they just wanted what was best for Hannah when she left. Whatever was going on between Akko and Hannah, Diana felt that they would be able to get over together.

\--

_ “Glandular epithelial tissue is formed by cells specialized to produce a fluid secretion. This process is usually accompanied by the intracellular synthesis of macromolecules. The chemical nature of these macromolecules is variable…” _

Diana looked down at her notes and copied them to her flashcards. Her desk was filled with papers, sticky notes, and highlighters and pens of a multitude of colors. A half-eaten peanut butter and jelly sandwich sat next to her as well as an empty glass of milk. She’d been hunkered down in her room for the past week, getting some preparations done for midterms as well as completing normal class work. Really, what professor in their right mind would drop new information just a bit short from midterms?

Absolutely crazy. What malarkey. Diana couldn’t stand it. But, the best of the best professors and doctors were here, so she was willing to endure in order to achieve her goal as a pathologist. Plus, if Diana was being honest, she was having fun in Hawai’i. Although sad that she couldn’t share her experiences with her mother and father, she was making the best of what was in front of her. Diana stacked her flashcards neatly to the side and opened up her text book.

_ “Diagnosis of multiples myeloma is based on clinical manifestations, blood test, and bonne marrow examination…” _

Diana reached over and took a bite from her sandwich. She’d been on a nice roll lately with school compared to the mini crisis she had when she first started. No doubt, it was all thanks to Akko for taking her out and around the island. Diana wondered what her free time was like. It seemed all the woman did was work; she wasn’t in school anymore based on what Diana knew. Did Akko just live the life of being completely free? Diana sighed, looking at the stacks of papers and neatly organized notes. She envied the ability to freely move around and not worry about a single thing in the world. Although she was set on her career desires, she couldn’t help but feel that she had missed out on life. She could only imagine the fun that Hannah had when she moved away from their home—after all, Hannah was friends with Akko, and Akko was fun to be around.

Speaking of which…

Diana peeked at her phone, which sat at the edge of the desk, charging.

… she hadn’t heard from Akko in days.

Diana sighed. Akko was probably working or doing something fun with someone else, something that maybe Diana wasn’t ready to do yet… or maybe she wanted a break from Diana. She felt a little guilty; maybe she was bothering her a little too much. After all, it was Diana who was technically a ‘guest’ here in Akko’s home island. However, it’s not like Akko owed Diana friendship or anything just because of a few lovely encounters. Or maybe Diana was just overthinking things again—she was always so bad at making friends. Maybe it didn’t matter because they weren’t already friends, or… maybe like acquaintances? Maybe they were just people who had mutual friends? Diana didn’t know. But man, did she like being around Akko. Maybe once she got through this chapter, she could text Akko and just talk. They didn’t have to plan for another day to hang out or anything, they could just talk, like normal friends. Diana was so engrossed with thinking about it, she didn’t realize that she hadn’t consumed any part of her text.

Diana groaned and looked outside. It was still bright out, but because Diana spent most of her day in a classroom and in her room, it might as well have been time for her to go to bed. She hated it; she was really too young to be feeling this old. This is what she wanted to avoid, but she also didn’t want to lose sight of her career goals.

_ ‘Homework first…’  _ Diana thought and looked back down into her textbook. She’d text Akko when she was done with this chapter. Her eyes lingered to the ti leaf that still hung around her door knob.

Well…

A little break wouldn’t hurt—she couldn’t focus tonight, anyways. It would just prove to be more detrimental to her mind if Diana forced herself to study and not really take anything in. Diana felt a smile pull at the corners of her lips. This was the first time ever in her life that she had decided to not finish a chapter before taking a break. She closed the book, ate what was left of her sandwich, and went downstairs to the kitchen to wash her dishes.

“Ah!” Once making it to the bottom of the steps, Diana was greeted by Hannah and Barbara cooking dinner. “Diana, just in time!” Hannah exclaimed as she brought a carton of eggs out of the refrigerator. “We were just about to make breakfast for dinner!”

Diana smiled. ‘ _ Breakfast for dinner? How fun.’  _ Her friends were definitely wild. Her aunt and her maid back home would’ve had heart attacks if they knew this is what she was eating for dinner after only having PB & J for lunch.

“We invited some people over, if you don’t mind,” Barbara added as she took out a giant box of pancake mix.

“It’s just some of my friends from the bar,” Hannah said while looking through their spice cabinet. “It’s the bar’s anniversary, and the owners decided to give us all a day off to celebrate together.”

_ ‘So…’ _

Diana remembered her phone, which she left sitting on her desk. Maybe she wouldn’t have to text Akko to break the ice after not speaking to her for the past couple of days. “Does that mean Akko is going to be here?” 

She could see Barbara’s eyes dart to Hannah, who didn’t seem to hear what Diana asked. But quickly, a sly smile pulled at the raven-haired girl’s lips. “I believe she’ll be coming today as well.”

All of a sudden, their front door opened, and Diana wondered who would have the audacity to come into their home without knocking first. Sure enough, Amanda was the first to walk in, followed by a much taller and bigger woman with her hair pulled back into thick braids, and a smaller woman with a grumpy look on her face.

“Heyoooo,” Amanda called out, holding a bunch of recyclable bags filled with groceries. “We got the goods for dinner tonight.” The tomboy set the bags down on their counter top. “We got bacon, we got beer, we got pork, we got spam…”

“Spam?” Diana reached in and pulled out one of the cans. It wasn’t that she hadn’t seen this before, she’d just never actually eaten it.

“Yes, spam.” Amanda grinned. “Only the finest of breakfast foods here. You’ll like it.”

Spam was apparently a big thing in Hawaii, and it was often found in most foods. Surprisingly, she still hadn’t tried it, but she’d seen Hannah eat it… like sushi? It was placed between two layers of rice and wrapped with seaweed. She wanted to be more adventurous, but never got the courage to actually try it. It looked weird—she could only imagine that her maid back at home, Anna, wouldn’t approve of her eating such a piece of meat.

“How many people are we inviting?” Diana inquired, looking at the loads of food on the table.

Hannah pulled out a pan and set it on the stove. “Trust me, Diana, this is about right for food. I don’t think you’ve seen these guys eat.”

“Here, let’s get the drinks in a cooler. We could leave it outside for everyone,” Barbara suggested, taking one of the packs of beer from the tall woman and leading them to their patio.

Diana almost forgot that they had a patio area. It just goes to show how many times she’d left her room to actually relax since moving here. She let her eyes flicker around again, feeling a little out of place. But she wanted a break anyways, and so she decided to make due with the whole situation. Plus, if Akko was coming, then there would be no point in sending a text now. She heard reggae music play from the patio, and could already hear Barbara chatting with the others out back.

“Go and enjoy yourself,” Hannah said, beginning to cook. “You’ve been stuck in your room all week. You’re starting to look pale already,” she joked.

Diana rolled her eyes, but couldn’t help but laugh a little. Instead of arguing, Diana decided she had some time to waste anyways.

\---

It seemed that most of the people who were friends with Hannah were people who worked at the bar. Diana could see how friendships could bloom from working with the same people every other day, sharing in the same experiences. Jasminka, a tall, burly woman who came with Amanda, was the kitchen manager at the bar they worked at. Constanze, the shorter woman that tagged along when Amanda barged into her house, worked at her uncle’s mechanic shop. Diana also finally met Lotte, who was the bartender Akko picked up a shift from. There were a few other people who worked at the bar there too: Avery, Mary, Chloe, and some others that only worked part-time that she was sure she wouldn’t remember the names of.

However…

Diana looked around her backyard as people ate and drank happily. Still, Akko was nowhere to be found.

“You ok, Cav?” Amanda nudged her shoulder. “You’re looking a little serious for someone at a kickback.”

Diana smiled; she didn’t want to be a buzz kill—she’d already spent most of her life like that. “I’m fine. It’s just that I don’t think I’ve ever been to a kickback before,” she replied.

Amanda squinted her eyes and studied her. “You’re looking for someone, aren’t you?” An impish smirk stretched across Amanda’s face as Diana looked away, embarrassed. “Y’know what, Cav? Someone  _ is _ missing. Let me make a call real quick.” With that, she picked up her phone and immediately dialed a number.

“Hey! Where you at?” Amanda demanded more than actually greeted. “I  _ know _ you got Hannah’s message about her kickback, the heck is wrong with you? Surf reports are flat too, so I know you’re not surfing. You got 20 minutes to get your ass here.”

Diana heard a loud, static-y groan on the other end of the phone, and she had to stop herself from laughing too loud. She could imagine Akko as the type to take naps even so late in the day. Amanda grinned.

“No buts, dude. Your girl is waiting for you.”

Diana froze in place, feeling her face heat up. She could hardly hear the tumbling mess on the other end of the phone through her own crisis.

“Well… that got her out of bed.” Amanda grinned and walked away proudly as Diana just stood there on her patio. When her mind finally decided to think again, Diana’s eyes searched for the other girl, who wasn’t hard to find. She was about to scold Amanda for saying such a thing when the tomboy was pulled away by Hannah. Despite her embarrassment, Diana liked the sound of ‘your girl’.

\--

For the next 30 minutes, Diana was glancing at the patio door from where she sat. Every time she looked up towards the door, Barbara would pat her back and smile reassuringly, and Amanda would check her phone. It took about 30 minutes to get from where Diana lived, in Hilo, to where Akko lived, in Pahoa. Amanda was being ludicrous with her demand, but Akko really should have been here by now. She sighed again—maybe she was overthinking things. She had to remember, Akko didn’t owe her anything nor did she need to rush over here for her sake, or for any sake at all! Damn, she was really over thinking this.

There was a click at the patio door, and Amanda hopped off her seat. “Akko!” Diana’s eyes immediately darted to the entrance to see Akko wearing a crop top that was knotted at the side, showing a well-toned abdomen. Diana couldn’t help it, much like the first time she saw the brunette on her surfboard...

_ Obliques… _

_ Rectus abdominus… _

_ Serratus anterior… _

Akko set a case of beer down on the deck.

_ Bicep and triceps brachii… _

_ Brachioradialis… _

Diana quickly looked away, not wanting to embarrass herself by making her way down to the leg muscle groups; Akko was wearing stupidly-short jean shorts. But maybe Diana shouldn’t have thought it was stupid… because it hugged the brunette in all the right ways. But, oh man, it looked so good on her. Diana was sure that Akko would make a better muscle diagram than the ones from her textbook.

Diana shook her head and decided to concentrate on something else as Akko made her rounds greeting people. She really was popular. Seemingly everyone smiled brightly at her and gave her a huge kiss on the cheek.

“Howzit Akko?” Lotte asked, though Diana had just barely caught it. Her mind was preoccupied with just one girl. 

“Hey Akko!” She heard Jasminka’s voice. 

“About time you showed up!  _ And _ you brought beer!” Then there was Amanda’s voice, but by this time, Diana had completely tuned out everyone but Akko. 

Hannah didn’t say much nor did Constanze. Diana figured that it was because Constanze was mute and Hannah and Akko didn’t fully make up after their argument. But even so, Akko didn’t hesitate to greet Hannah accordingly.

Diana found out really quickly that was a standard greeting in Hawaii between friends or relatives and nothing more than that. However, every now and then, Diana would look up and catch Akko also giving her quick glances.

“Go on girl,” Barbara whispered from next to her before standing up to give Akko and hug and kiss on the cheek.

Again, Diana’s face began to heat up, and she could feel her heart start to beat just a bit faster as Akko turned to her with the biggest smile. But this was nothing, it couldn’t be anything. It was probably a reaction to the humidity and heat of the day. Additionally, there was the fact that this was the most active thing that Diana had done all day. Maybe she needed to start working out to build a stronger heart or something like that because there was no other explanation for this.

“Hi, Diana.” Akko reached down towards her, and Diana knew it was her time to receive a hug and kiss on the cheek. But at the last possible moment, Akko turned her face away, and Diana only received a hug.

“Hello, Akko…” Diana  _ almost  _ muttered out in slight disappointment. She couldn’t help but wonder what made her so different from everyone else here, but then again, she couldn’t blame Akko. They hadn’t known each other for a very long time. 

Akko collapsed back on the grass beside Diana’s chair and grinned. “Did you eat already?” she asked. “How are you liking spam?”

“I actually quite like the spam. It’s a tad bit saltier than what I initially expected, but it tastes good with the rice and eggs,” Diana admitted once she realized Akko was next to her. “Did you grab some food?”

Akko yawned and propped herself back, stretching her legs out on the grass. “Not yet. But I’ll get something soon. I had a late lunch, so I’m not hungry,” she answered.

Diana looked around and saw people still eating. “Are you sure that there will be enough food left?”

“Huh?” Akko cocked her head to the side as if running out of food was a silly idea. “Oh, I brought more. Jas is here, so I can only imagine she’ll cook some more.”

Diana chuckled, “It’s like this is a whole party.”

“You don’t know how parties work in Hawaii, do you?” said Akko. Diana’s eyes widened. Having a whole party would be a little much. She had class all day tomorrow too, and she didn’t want to be exhausted. She still technically had homework to do as well. A million thoughts ran through her head at the implications of having a full-blown party here, but they were quickly squashed by Akko’s laughing. “Don’t worry, it’s not bad. But I can only imagine that we’re gonna be sitting here and hanging out for a long time.”

“That doesn’t sound bad.” Diana relaxed against her chair and sighed as the warmth of the setting sun hit her skin. Akko sighed too and sprawled herself out on the grass next to her. It was adorable to say the least. Diana didn’t mind something like this. She wasn’t the type to go out and get crazy—not that she hadn’t done that before—she just preferred to remember a good night rather than stumble home and see text messages asking where she went and whatnot. With this, she could fully be present with people and enjoy time off with her friends.

“You still got the ti leaf?” Akko mumbled the question. She must’ve been falling asleep already while taking in the remaining bits of sun. Diana looked down to see Akko with her eyes closed, but not without a smile on her face. “Is it helping your vibes?”

“It is actually!” Diana perked up. “I’ve been feeling much better about my studies since I hung it in my room. Would you like to see it?”

Akko’s eyes snapped open. “Sure.”

Diana smiled and stood from her chair. Akko got to her feet as well. Maybe now she could figure out how to make a lei and hang the ti leaf properly—other than by a string. Or maybe there were other purposes for the ti leaf that Diana could learn about as it begins to wilt. 

The two walked around the house and up the stairs to her room. Once there, Diana gently grabbed the ti leaf. Despite being hung from the door knob like that for a few days, it was still a vibrant green with only a few yellowing spots.

“Is it respectable to hang it like this?” Diana asked hopefully.

Akko gave a soft smile. “Yeah, this is fine. Whatever works for you. When I teach you how to make a lei, you can hang it anyway you like.” Akko peeked up from the leaf to meet her gaze. “What do you study?” She nodded towards the stack of books on Diana’s desk. “I don’t mean to pry…”

“No, no.” Diana walked into her room with the brunette in tow. “I’m studying pathology. When I’m done, I want to be able to work on diagnosing patients with diseases and whatnot. I would also like to work on finding cures for such things.”

Diana quickly sat at her desk and opened to a random page in her textbook, which showed pictures of how necrosis looked on a human brain. She felt Akko’s presence. She was standing behind her and looking over her shoulder to see what it was that Diana was so excited about. It was interesting to see the kind of effects outside variables had on a body, and how a pathologist went about finding cures or procedures to study such anomalies. Of course, others would disagree. Some might even say that seeing such pictures is gross, but Diana was infinitely amazed by the human body and its abilities.

“Look at this!” Diana pointed to the text. “Necrosis is the death of cells with loss of membrane integrity and enzymatic destruction of the cellular constituents. This leads to leakage of cell constituents into the surrounding tissue and the circulation.”

They were well past this chapter, but Diana was fascinated nonetheless.

“Wow…” Akko breathed out.

Diana was immediately filled with insecurities revolving around the fact that not everybody would approve of her interests. They’d probably want to shut the book close. Akko probably didn’t want to see such things. She turned to apologize to Akko. She should have been more careful about what she was about to show, but before she could say sorry, she was met with a small smile, which crept onto Akko’s face. “You really like what you do, huh?” Akko asked.

Almost as if Diana was caught doing unspeakable things, she was quick to pop her attention to Akko’s voice.

“I mean… I just think…”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you. I just think it’s cool that you’re doing something that you actually love. Y’know?” Akko scratched the back of her head. “It’s better than most people our age just doing what makes money, instead of something they actually want.”

Diana paused for a moment. She briefly looked at her book before meeting Akko’s eyes again. “Really? Do you mean that?”

“Of course!” Akko looked at Diana and then back to the textbook. “Why would I make fun of something that’s clearly important to you?”

Diana smiled. No one had ever told her that. She would usually hear something about how much money she’d be making in the future, or how gross her work must be, or even dangerous. But never had she ever gotten, ‘Wow, you must like that’. It was a nice break that Akko had, once again, given her.

“Hey, Akko!” Amanda suddenly appeared just beneath Diana’s door frame. “Oh… ummm…” Akko took a small step back away from Diana.

Diana could hear the slightest disappointed groan escape Akko’s lips. “What’s up, Amanda?”

Amanda scratched the back of her head, clearly understanding that she was interrupting something, but it was too late. She was already there. “Jas is about to fry up the fish you brought… She, uh, wanted to know if you gutted them already?”

“Yeah, they’re gutted already, but I might have missed some. So, I guess I might as well go down there and check,” Akko sighed. Amanda shrugged her shoulders and left to go back downstairs. Diana was about to return to sitting and maybe finishing her chapter, seeing that everyone was going to be here for a while anyways, but the moment she moved towards the chair, Akko grabbed her hand. “Wanna come with?” she offered with a grin. “If you can handle that, then I’m sure fileting fish would be cake for you.”

Diana giggled. “Are you sure? For all you know I could have a weak stomach when it comes to seafood?”

“Are you allergic to seafood?”

“No?”

“Good. Because then you would’ve chosen the wrong place to go to college.” Akko tugged on her arm. “Besides, if you don’t have to be stuck in your room studying, then we can hang out more. I like hanging out with you,” she said, adding the last part with a tone that screamed genuine. 

Diana felt butterflies erupt in her stomach. They tickled her every being as her heart started to flutter amongst them. 

“I like hanging out with you too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Herrington, C. Simon. Muir's Textbook of Pathology. United States, CRC Press, 2014.
> 
> Grossman, Sheila. Porth's Pathophysiology: Concepts of Altered Health States. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2013
> 
> I'm more familiar with Chicago style citations since I'm a history nerd, so I hope I got the MLA format correctly for the quotes I used. Anyways, got another chapter out for ya'll. Hopefully, the story going well for everyone, and I hope everyone is making it through this world. Stay safe, friends!


	8. Chapter 8

The sun had come down, thus Hannah had to turn on the patio lights. It wasn’t too late in the evening, their little kick back had only grown a little. Some of Diana's neighbors were hanging out and eating which was pretty typical of parties in Hawaii, no matter how small. It would have been nice to see the sunset, but they lived on the eastern side of the Big Island, thus they were blessed with beautiful sunrises. The sunsets were hidden by Mauna Kea, a former volcano, now considered mountain, sitting right in the middle of their small island. Akko used to joke that she essentially lived on a volcano. One, because it was funny to say, two, because it was the truth. The tallest mountain on earth measured from its base to the top was practically their island. Akko liked sunrises more anyways, plus…

Akko’s eyes lingered to the blonde at the other end of the back yard. Diana was wearing a gray razor back tank top, and dark blue jean shorts.

She didn’t think that her heart would be able to handle seeing Diana’s blonde hair shine in the sunlight, or her pretty blue eyes glisten like the ocean waves. Akko couldn’t keep her eyes from the blonde. Even when they were deboning fish, or when Diana was pulled away by some other friends who wanted to talk to the British girl.

 _Unbelievable…_ Akko had to smile.

She watched from afar as Diana spoke fluidly with her coworkers and friends, and move seamlessly around everyone. Diana smiled and laughed with her friends as if she’s lived here all her life. She even learned how to quickly debone a fish like a pro in the short time that they were together in the kitchen. The blonde was just so good. Too good in fact. This British bombshell was amongst them, as if she had known them her whole life.

Yeah…

Diana was fitting in perfectly here in Hawaii.

Diana wasn’t afraid, and made an active effort to learn and to be a part of something unfamiliar. Akko should’ve greeted her properly like how she did with everyone else in the group, but she was afraid that maybe she was crossing a line. When she went to college in the mainland she discovered that people weren’t as open; usually it was just a handshake as a greeting, and then after a while it would become a hug. She remembered when she had hugged and kissed her soccer teammate on the cheek, and how awkward that was for a while between the two of them. Akko could never fit in during college, try as she might. She had friends, and her teammates were like family. It's just, she was always looked at as the girl from Hawaii. She took pride in it, not a lot of athletes from Hawaii got to go on in college, she was proud to be one of the few. But she was more than “that girl from Hawaii.”

Akko sat on the other end of the patio with her empty plate next to her. She didn’t feel like drinking, and actually didn’t want to come because of the whole thing with Hannah which left her feeling a little hurt. She envied Diana a bit for being so adaptive, but Akko didn’t let the jealousy get to her, even after her fight with Hannah. She couldn’t let it get to her even if she tried, Diana was great. She was fitting in fine, and she was literally from a place that was opposite of Hawaii. She couldn’t help but smile at how this blue-eyed blonde with teal streaks fit in so well with a bunch of island girls. Akko saw how her blue eyes lit up as soon as she touched that medical textbook. The way she read that passage with such vigor and excitement. Akko still couldn’t get it out of her head, Diana was so cute, and she was smart, she wanted to learn, and most importantly she could _adapt._

Akko felt a little nudge on her arm. “You know, every time she’s around she’s all you look at.” Akko turned to the side to see Lotte next to her. 

Akko just shook her head and chuckled. “Am I that obvious?”

“Only a little,” Lotte laughed.

Lotte was always one of Akko’s best friends. She moved to Hawaii from Finland when they were in elementary school and was often picked on for looking very foreign. Akko would have none of that, and quickly befriended the girl,and oftentimes Akko would get caught up in fights whenever someone tried to bully Lotte. After a while no one would mess with Lotte, and eventually the Finnish girl was widely accepted and fit in perfectly with their group of friends. Truth be told, Lotte was very respectful of the way of life in Hawaii, and loved Hawaiian culture. She wanted to be a botanist and preserve native Hawaiian plants, she often went to Akko’s papa’s farm to study the plants and help on the farm. They had grown closer over the years, and to Akko, Lotte may have very well been her sister.

Akko rolled her eyes, she wanted to agree, she wanted to believe that she was worth someone’s time. It wasn’t even Hannah’s argument that got her this way. She’s been feeling like this for a while since coming back anyways. “Do you think I shoulda stayed home?” she asked offhandedly. “Do you think leaving was a bad choice for everyone?”

Lotte frowned, but quickly raised an amused brow. “Personally, I think it was good you left. You always wanted bigger and better things. More than what this island could give you.” Lotte took off her glasses and wiped them clean and put them back on. “But, do _you_ think you should have stayed? Do you really think you would have been happier here?”

Akko shrugged. “I don’t regret leaving.”

“Then what’s the problem?” Lotte smiled. “You’re happy, and everyone here was happy for you. So!” Lotte moved behind Akko and gave her a little push. “You shouldn’t be standing around here moping.”

Akko almost tripped over her own two feet as she lost her balance from Lotte’s push. It was embarrassing! Division one athlete, and still had the coordination of a toddler. She looked back to Lotte who was shooing her away. Akko sighed and righted herself. She still couldn’t believe someone like Diana wanted to hang out with her, there really wasn’t anything special. Akko walked across the backyard towards the blonde, rounding around the groups of people still eating, laughing, and talking to each other about random things. She could hear the group asking about the UK, what kinds of things were there, and trying to mimic her British accent all in good fun. Eventually they asked why she left, and all the usual things to get to know someone.

But what Akko really wanted to know was: What’s her favorite color? What kind of movies? What’s her favorite kind of cookie? Or did she even like cookies? How about what kind of weather she likes to sleep during?

Those were important things to know for Akko. Especially when it came to Diana.

As Akko neared the group Diana turned to her and smiled. Ooooof, Akko’s little heart just couldn’t take it. Akko would have easily fallen into another daydream, but she quickly realized that she was among the group.

“How have you liked it here so far?” Jasminka asked. “Do you miss home?”

“I actually don’t miss home.” Diana smiled. “I quite love it here in fact. Everything I’ve seen has been more than interesting. Akko has been showing me around.” Diana glanced over to the brunette and smiled again.

“Have you tried some of the food?” Constanze said in sign language.

It took Akko _forever_ to learn sign language so that she could communicate with Constanze, she was about to proudly translate Constanze to Diana when the blonde answered without hesitation. “Yes, this is my first-time trying spam, but Akko took me to this fishery called Sui…San?” She quickly looked towards Akko who just nodded dumbly, she was still in shock that Diana could perfectly read sign language. “I ate ‘poh- keh’?” Again, she looked to Akko, who just nodded.

Diana turned back to Constanze and smiled. She knew sign language too. What didn’t Diana Cavendish know? The three continued to talk to each other, Constanze being more open to conversing now that she knew Diana didn’t need a translator. Akko watched as Diana quickly answered Constanze questions, as if she was really speaking. Maybe Akko shouldn’t have been this surprised, a lot of people could read sign language, but the speed at which Constanze was going and the speed Diana was answering was impressive. Soon, Jasminka and Constanze slipped away to speak to other friends, leaving Diana and Akko together.

“You understand sign language?” Akko asked, still amazed.

Diana chuckled and gave a sheepish smile. “I learned it in the event I need to care for patients with hearing or speaking disabilities. Constanze is using the American sign language system, it’s a little different from the British sign language system, but I can more or less understand her.”

_There’s more than one system!?_

Akko gawked at the blonde in front of her. “What else do you know?” Akko blurted out.

“Pardon me?” Diana furrowed her brows. It honestly was a silly question, so of course Diana would be looking at her strangely.

Akko quickly shook her head and back tracked. “I mean, like… Languages?” She thought out quickly.

Diana hummed for a moment. “Aside from sign language, I can speak French and a bit of German.”

Akko grinned and shook her head in disbelief. “That’s amazing you know that, right?”

Diana chuckled. “Not as amazing as ‘pidgin’. A language created from several different languages. If anything, Akko, you have a more aptitude for languages than I do.”

“Yeah but you can’t just stick me in the Philippines and expect me to know what everyone is saying.” Akko burst out laughing. “How do you even know that?”

“I read a few books on Hawai’i before coming here.” Diana admitted. “One of them spoke about pidgin and how plantation workers immigrated here, however they couldn’t communicate because of the different ethnic languages, so they created their own. It’s fascinating…”

_‘Fascinating’_

That’s what Diana thought of the way they spoke; of the way _she_ spoke. People in the mainland often would tease Akko. The way she would pronounce certain words, or the way her sentences would be ordered. Akko never knew she had an accent until then. Something about how she elongated her vowels or something. She worked herself to sound a little less like that, just so she could fit in a little, but it didn’t really work. But now she was glad it didn’t work.

“I’m sure my accent sticks out like a sore thumb here, but I’d like to learn to speak pidgin.” Diana continued.

But Akko wasn’t going to listen to Diana say her accent was weird, or that she was trying to change it to fit in. “Nonono!” Akko rushed forward into Diana’s space. “Your accent is awesome! I like the way it sounds!” she blurted out.

 _Holy crap…_ Akko thought as she watched Diana visibly flinch. _You’re not being suave at all, dummy!_

Akko was about to look for a window to jump out of when she heard Diana laugh. It was really pretty; Akko felt the need to stop and appreciate it.

“Thank you, Akko.” Diana smiled. “I like my accent as well.”

Akko scratched the back of her head and could feel her face flush, she hoped it was because of soaking up the sun 24/7. “G-good.” Akko smiled sheepishly. “You have school, tomorrow right? Sorry your party kinda grew. That happens around us a lot, I’m sure you have a lot of homework to do.”

“It’s alright.” Diana shrugged and moved to sit on one of the many lawn chairs. “I could use the break. I’ve been sitting in class all day, sitting outside seems rather nice.”

Feeling her embarrassment waning, Akko pulled up the chair to sit next to Diana. Akko plopped herself on the chair, however her lack of coordination and just gravity and in general was a bad combination. Akko could feel herself tipping over the back. It was weirdly slow motion, and Akko was willing to accept her fate in collapsing back into the grass.

“Akko!” Diana quickly reached over and tried to save her, but Akko was just out of her reach, thus she collapsed back on the grass with a small groan.

Only Diana seemed to pay attention, Akko was surprised to even get that. Her tumbling and falling was more or less a part of everyone’s daily routine. “I guess I wasn’t meant to have a good life…” Akko sarcastically groaned.

Diana’s eyes widened at her sentiment, and one again Akko wanted to look for a window to jump out of, because there was no way that Diana would understand her sense of humor just yet.

“Pfft…”

Akko looked up visibly confused.

“That’s so morbid.” Diana covered her face, but Akko could hear the quiet giggling from behind her hands. “Are you alright?” she tried to ask without laughing. Akko grinned, forgetting her embarrassment as she looked up at the blonde smiling down on her.

“Yeah… I’m good.”

* * *

Soon people began to file out of the house. Akko was off tomorrow, thankfully, she could enjoy some time at the beach the next morning, but mostly everyone else had school or work the next day. Hannah was in the kitchen washing some dishes while Diana was in her room, Barbara was still talking to Lotte about some new book coming out, and Amanda and her friends were cleaning the backyard. Akko was in the kitchen helping out with some of the extra food. Every now and then she looked over to Hannah, the two hadn’t spoken for most of the night. Something that Akko was thankful for, but this little… Whatever it was… Couldn’t go on. She remembered when she first met Hannah in middle school. The girl was practically spitfire. Hannah didn’t take shit from anyone, and was largely alone because people were scared of her. Amanda was the first to suggest befriending Hannah, Lotte was a little hesitant, Sucy didn’t seem to care, and Akko agreed since she didn’t like the fact that Hannah sat alone for lunch. It took a little arm twisting and Amanda getting punched in the face by Hannah, but eventually Hannah ended up fitting in well with their group.

Once Akko had finished the last of the food, she loudly pulled out a chair and sat down to grab the red-head’s attention. “So, we gonna talk about this, or are we just gonna be ignoring each other till we die?” Akko bluntly said. Akko may have been a bit prideful, but they were still friends.

Hannah stacked the last of the dishes on the dish rack and turned to face Akko. “I’m just concerned,” Hannah grunted out. The red- head crossed her arms over her chest and looked away. “You’re so quick to befriend everyone, and not think twice about the people who have been with you for years.”

“We got you as a friend, didn’t we?” Akko grinned.

Hannah’s face grew red. Clearly that wasn’t the way to go about this… “That’s not the point.”

Akko groaned. “It’s not like I forgot about you guys when I left for college. We practically texted every day, and we always joined in on each other’s live streams of whatever we were doing.”

Hannah took a deep breath. “I’m just saying. Was _there_ really better than _here_?”

Akko had to take a moment to think about that one. To be honest there wasn’t anything comparable to her home here in the Big Island to going to Boston for college. They were both different places, and despite how much she loved being back home, Akko did like it there too. Akko shrugged. “No, but I did like it there.”

She assumed the redhead wanted a bit more of an explanation, but really that was all there was to it. Hannah huffed. “You’re the worst.”

“I know.” Akko gleamed with a bright smile. She’s known Hannah long enough to know that once those three words come from her mouth, she’s won. Akko knows she’ll never hear Hannah say she’s “sorry”, but this was a pleasant second best. “I really did miss you guys though, if I could’ve taken you all to Boston with me, we would’ve ran that campus in no time.”

Hannah couldn’t fight the smile on her face, try as she might. “Whatever.” She said

“Yo! We’re done out there!” Amanda walked into the kitchen and threw her arm around Hannah and pinched her check. “Thanks for throwing a kick back!”

Hannah tried her best to bat away Amanda’s hand, but Amanda was strong. Probably something to do with carrying all those beer kegs to the bar. “Get off of me, nerd!” Hannah laughed and tried to pull away.

“Nerd!?” Amanda grinned. “Who do you think you’re callin’ a nerd?!” Amanda proceeded to pick up Hannah and spin her around. “I can’t believe you called me the nerd!”

“You are a nerd!” Hannah tried to get out through her giggles.

Akko smiled. She loved her friends, and really did miss them a lot. For some who grew up with no siblings she took what she could get when she felt like her parents didn’t understand. She was more than happy with her choices. It was a little sad though. Amanda has been in love with Hannah since middle school. It was so obvious, even Akko could read in between the lines. But sadly, Hannah could just be so damn oblivious. Akko looked at the time it was already 9:30 at night, if she wanted to make it to dawn patrol and not fall asleep on her board then she needed to leave soon. She made her rounds saying her goodbyes to her friends with hugs and kisses on the cheek, and that she would probably see them some other time. She paused at the end of the stairs leading up to where Diana’s room was. Akko contemplated going upstairs or not to tell the blonde good night. Diana was part of their friend group now, right? It was ok? It wouldn’t be rude or weird if she went up there… To Diana’s room?

Or maybe she was sleeping…? Akko sighed and just decided to text the blonde a good night and to thank her for having them over.

“She’s still awake, you know.”

Akko spun around to see Barbara and Lotte behind her. “I-“ Akko wanted to explain that she was merely wondering if she had collected all of her belongings before heading out.

“She’s probably just cleaning up a bit, I doubt you’ll be in much trouble.” Barbara poked Akko in the middle of the forehead. “Might as well say good night.”

Barbara and Lotte walked past her wearing little smirks of their own. “I… Ok…” Akko simply replied. She stood there for a couple more minutes to try and make sense of what just happened, but she learned a long time ago that whenever Lotte and Barbara were paired together to not ask questions. Instead, Akko carefully made her way up the stairs and to the blonde. Shoe stood in front of the door awkwardly staring at the ti leaf draped around Diana’s door knob, it was cute, but Akko really wanted to teach Diana how to make a lei so that it could be properly hung without a string. Also… The thought of Diana in a lei sounded nice.

Finally feeling a little too awkward, Akko knocked on the door.

“Come in.” She heard Diana call from the other side. Funny, Akko had no problem coming into her room earlier today. Akko opened the door and her mouth almost went dry. “Akko?”

Diana was wearing gray sweats and University of Hawaii t-shirt, and reading glasses, with her hair pulled to the side in a loose braid. She seemed like she was about to climb into bed with another text book in her hand. Gosh, she was so pretty, and smart, and studious and-

“Can I help you?”

_Shit…_

“I- umm…” Akko ran her fingers through her hair. Wow, she should’ve thought of a better way to go about this… But she didn’t expect Diana to look so pretty even when she wasn’t trying to be pretty. “I’m heading out, I just wanted to say… umm… Bye…” Akko practically croaked out.

Diana smiled. “I’m glad you enjoyed yourself.”

“Do… Do you wanna hang out tomorrow?” Akko didn’t realize what she had just asked. It took a few moments. It took a surprised look from Diana to finally realize what she said. Quickly, Akko walked into the room and gave Diana a hug and kiss on the cheek. “Actually, you have school tomorrow, I totally forgot!”

Once again…

Realizing what she had done _after_ the fact. Akko was sent into overdrive.

“Igottagonowseeyoulater!” Akko quickly blurted out and dashed out of the room.

 _Gah! Why are you the way you are!?_ Akko thought as she blitzed outside of the house and into her truck. She probably made the situation even worse since she didn’t even give Diana time to answer or say anything at all. Akko tossed all of her belongings in the truck and sped away. At a reasonable speed of course. Akko felt like she was in high school again, with the way she was acting. She remembered being that girl who was much too focused on school and sports to know how to talk to crushes.

When Akko got home, she quickly made it into her room and collapsed on her bed, annoying little Mayhem who was already on her bed and resting against the pillow. She hoped the little cat at least wiped his paws before coming in this time.

“Sorry, Hammy…” Akko mumbled into her blankets. Mayhem just flicked his tail to the side and went back to sleep.

Akko was ready to start her existential crisis. They’ve been happening more frequently lately, no doubt due to the sheer amazingness of Diana Cavendish.

**_Beep, beep_ **

She guessed her crisis would have to wait…

Akko pulled her phone from her back pocket.

 **_22: 34 Diana Cavendish:_ **May I bring my books?

 _Huh?_ Akko scrunched her eyes at the message.

 **_22:34 Akko Kagari:_ **For what?

 **_22:35 Diana Cavendish:_ **You asked me if I wanted to hangout tomorrow. May I bring my books? Is there some place I can study as well?

Akko held her breath. Her crisis was definitely going to have to wait. She couldn’t believe it. Despite looking like a fool and running out of the house like she was in a track meet, Diana wanted to hang out. It had to be a trap, there was no way someone like Diana would look twice at someone so inherently awkward as Akko.

 **_22:38 Akko Kagari:_ **I thought you had school?

 **_22:38 Diana Cavendish:_ **I do. However, I should be out by the afternoon. Would it be ok if we did something quieter?

It was perfect. Akko had something quieter in mind anyways.

 **_22:39 Akko Kagari:_ **Yes! Bring your books, and your bikini. I’ll pick you up from your place?”

 **_22:39 Diana Cavendish:_ **The sounds perfect. See you at noon?

Akko was about to send one last text confirming the time. But…

 **_22:41 Akko Kagari:_ **Are you about to head to bed?

 **_22:41 Diana Cavendish:_ **Yes, I have to wake up early for class. Did you need something?

Akko sighed. Of course. She was pushing her luck. Diana better things to do, and other places to be other than her.

 **_22:45 Akko Kagari:_ **Nothing, I was just wondering. I’ll see you tomorrow then?

 **_22:46 Diana Cavendish:_ **I’ll see you tomorrow. Have a good night, Akko. Sleep well.

Still… Akko couldn’t help but smile a little. Just a little. For a moment she felt that Diana meant that, and that sentiment was meant _only_ for Akko. Even if it wasn’t the case, it at least felt like it.

 **_22:46 Akko Kagari:_ **Sleep tight, Diana.

Akko reached over and plugged her phone into the charger and got ready for bed. Maybe an existential crisis wouldn’t be needed tonight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And the shenanigans press on! 
> 
> Praise to my homies Kay and AWL for being the cheer squad to keep me going in this chapter. 
> 
> Thanks for reading everyone! The comments for both of my fics have been awesome and so supportive to me. I'm glad I can give you guys a taste of my home. Stay safe ya'll!


	9. Chapter 9

“‘Hanging out with Akko again?” Barbara asked from the other end of the phone. “I’m almost a little jealous,” she chuckled.

Diana adjusted the strap of her satchel around her shoulder as she walked out of her lecture hall. “Jealous? Why?”

“Well, you never wanted to hang out with _any of us_ back home,” Barbara huffed. “I’m just a _little_ hurt is all. You don’t have to worry about it. Totally _not_ hurt at all.”

Diana rolled her eyes. She could hear the faux disappointment and the over exaggerations in her voice. “Uh-huh,” Diana replied sarcastically. “Well, I’m happy to know that you’re not too hurt.” She played along.

“Well, I’m glad that you’re finally getting yourself out into the world instead of stuck in your room. Are you having fun with Akko?”

The sun was bright; it was truly a beautiful day in Hawaii. It was raining during her lecture, she could see the soft drizzles against the window panes of the building, but now it was just gorgeous out. A bit humid, but that was alright. She was wearing a blue racerback tank top with white shorts, so the heat wasn’t a problem. Plus, she wouldn’t have minded getting a bit of a tan, it’d been commented a few times that she was a little too pale in skin tone.

“I am. She’ll probably be picking me up soon.” Barbara squealed on the other end of the phone. “Umm, what was that about?”

“Ooohhh nothing,” Barbara drawled out mischievously. “I’m just happy that you and Akko seem to be becoming good friends.”

“So am I.” Diana smiled.

“How is it getting to know her?”

Diana’s smile only grew as she remembered the little moments spent with Akko. “She’s wonderful…” That was the best she could describe the brunette. For now.

“Glad to hear it,” Barbara giggled, “I guess we’ll see you later?”

“Yes, of course!” Diana hung up her phone and put it in her pocket.

Diana rocked back and forth on her heels as she waited outside of the lecture hall. She’d never been picked up after school by anyone before. She had a driver for a while, until she was old enough to have a car, but no adult really wants to speak with an 8-year-old, especially one that had just lost their parents. So, she was excited that someone was actually coming to get her and spend time with her for once instead of just dropping her off somewhere. She remembered to pack her bikini and her books—she even packed a peanut butter and jelly sandwich in case she got hungry. She wondered what Akko had in mind for hanging out together this time. She didn’t mind a little sand in her books; the black sand was easy to clean off, unlike golden sands, which were too fine and tended to stick to a person’s skin. But so long as her books didn’t get wet, she would be fine. Laying out in the sun and listening to the ocean while studying sounded wonderful.

She was still a bit worried after last night. Diana didn’t expect Akko to come up to her room after spending all that time with her at their kickback. She didn’t expect the brunette to ask her to hang out again, and she certainly didn’t expect a hug and kiss on the cheek. She was so shocked, she didn’t even notice that Akko had practically bolted out of her room. Even now, almost a day later… Diana could still vaguely feel the kiss on her cheek that Akko gave her. By the time Diana had pulled herself from her stupor, Akko was long gone. On instinct, Diana had been about to refuse her proposal of hanging out together. She had studying to get done, chapters to complete, homework to turn in. It was only natural for her to put school above hanging out with her friends. Diana had spent most of her life going straight home to study, so she often missed out on anything fun with her peers. Sure, she had the grades, and the honors and achievements, but she didn’t have the memories she wanted to have with friends.

Diana quickly shook her head and reminded herself that she was here in Hawaii, a place largely different from the UK and any place that she had ever been to in the world—a place where people didn’t have to rush, or be anything they didn’t.

She desperately needed to enjoy her time and grow from where she’d been. She needed to stop watching life pass her by and be more than just the bookworm. She was more than adequate to pass her courses—what would a little down time do to her grades? Plus, if she was being honest, she really didn’t mind hanging out with Akko. 

It was only around 12:15PM. Diana didn’t know where Akko would be coming from, but she assumed that it would take around 30 minutes to get to the college. The Big Island was much more spread out between places, and Diana didn’t feel the need to be in any rush, even if Akko showed up late. Instead, she took her time, humming to herself the Blink-182 song she had played on accident when she first went out with Akko.

It surprisingly didn’t take much longer.

Diana looked around until she finally saw a familiar old truck being driven by a familiar-looking girl. She never stopped smiling, especially when Akko pulled up holding a bright smile of her own.

“Hiya,” Akko greeted her happily as she turned down the music in her truck. “You ready?”

“Hi,” Diana replied, feeling her face heat up a bit after seeing Akko’s lopsided grin. Maybe the heat was a little more than what Diana had bargained for. Although she wanted to have a little tan, the risk of getting sunburned would be a bit problematic. She never had any trouble with the sun in the UK, so the sun in Hawaii should be fine, right? “I think so.”

Akko reached across her truck and pushed open the door to reveal that she was wearing a gray flannel and board shorts while driving barefoot. “Then let’s go.”

Diana smiled and climbed into the truck, shutting the door behind her. “Where to today?”

“The beach!” Akko announced once she was seated. Akko waited a few moments for Diana to settle her things, and once Diana had her seat belt on, she put the truck in drive and drove out of the parking lot, away from campus. Even though the hot sun brought the humidity, Diana loved it.

“How was school?” Akko began as she turned onto the main road back to Pahoa town. “Did you learn how to cure osteogenesis imperfecta?”

“School was fine. We’re getting closer to midterms, so there’s not much aside from reviews,” Diana chuckled. She was a bit surprised to hear Akko mention that disease specifically—not that Akko could never know what osteogenesis imperfecta was, just that it was an extremely specific and very rare disease. She wondered if Akko had friends or family that might have been diagnosed with it. “I’m sorry to say that I actually haven’t figured that out yet. Are you familiar with osteogenesis imperfecta?”

“Not personally,” Akko clarified. “After my final season of soccer in college, I had some time to do a bit of an observation at the physical therapy center the college runs. There was this kid with type 1 osteogenesis imperfecta that came in every so often. He was a small, little thing, but his condition was only mild, so he could still move around and do some body weight exercises.” Akko laughed a bit, and Diana couldn’t help but lean forward a bit. She could feel a little bit of a story coming along, and she wanted nothing more than to know more about the girl beside her. “His name was Peyton. I remember the first time he came in. He was super shy, didn’t wanna talk much, or even smile a lot. Kinda seemed like he just didn’t wanna do much in general.”

Diana frowned. Osteogenesis imperfecta was a rare genetic disorder in which bones break easily. However, there are other symptoms like muscle weakness, loose joints, curvature of the spine, brittle teeth, and even hearing loss. Type 1 was its most mild stage of the disease, but that didn’t mean that it made living any easier for the patients. Most of them would live their lives in a wheelchair.

“Anyways, after hours of observations and doing paperwork, the doc let me have a chance at working with patients. At first, he was just gonna assign me a girl who tore her ACL during a soccer game, but there was just something about this kid that I wanted to help with. So, after a couple minutes of begging and bribing, doc let me work with him. Great kid, smart too. He liked chess, so I would play with him after sessions. ‘Finally got him to smile after a few weeks, and he was getting a little stronger.”

Diana stared in amazement. “Only after a few weeks?”

Akko shrugged and grinned. “His condition wasn’t too bad, plus after a while, he was coming in every day. I guess he was having as much fun as I was with him. I’d be lying if I didn’t say I shed a tear or two when I left Boston after graduating.”

“Is that where you went to college?” Diana felt like she was finally _really_ getting to know about Akko, more than just her personality and what she showed on the outside.

“Yup!” Akko grinned. “Boston University. I was lucky to get a soccer scholarship. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to afford it.”

“Did you like it there?” Diana asked. “This is the only place in the United States I’ve been to, but I can imagine that the East Coast is significantly different from here.”

Akko chuckled, “You got that right. You won’t find any other place in the U.S. like Hawaii. But yes, I did like it there. It was different. I could be whatever I wanted to be.”

“That sounds nice.” Diana leaned back in her seat and thought about it. It did sound nice, to be where people didn’t know her name, where she could forget everything about home, where she could rebuil-

“Pfft!”

Diana’s train of thought broke when she heard laughing. She looked over and saw Akko shaking her head at her. “I don’t wanna pick on you, but aren’t you doing that already?”

“Hm?” Diana perked up at the sight of the absolutely adorable look on her face. The kind of face that said ‘Really, Diana?’ As if Diana had come to the most obvious conclusion in the world, and Akko couldn’t believe it took her so long.

“You need to relax, Dia.” Akko reached towards her stereo and turned up the volume. The sweet sounds of a piano and ukulele began to play, and Diana was even more curious about the sound of Hawaiian music.

_ʻO Maunakea kū kilakila_

_Me ka wai huʻi aʻo Wai`au_

_Wai huʻi anu_

_Huʻi konikoni_

_I ka piko o Maunakea_

_Hawaiʻi no e ka ʻoi_

Surprisingly, she still wasn’t too familiar with it. Of course, Hawai’i still played the latest hits in the United States, so usually that was what she would listen to while around Hannah and Barbara. “I hope you don’t mind Hawaiian music. I figured it would be the ideal music to relax with at the beach.”

“What are they saying?”

Akko scratched the back of her head and gave a wry smile. “I’m not sure, I don’t know how to speak Hawaiian. But, Jasminka did hula for a while when we were younger—she’d probably be a better translator. All I know is that they’re saying, ‘Hawaii is the best.’”

Diana grinned, leaned back against her seat, and looked out the window.

_‘Hawaii really is the best…’_ she thought as they drove to the beach.

* * *

Diana laid on the black sand and flipped through the pages of her textbook. Akko told her to go on ahead and find a place to relax while she grabbed some things from her truck. Diana didn’t remember seeing the surfboard in the back of the truck, but that was fine. Akko had the right idea coming to the beach to study. The sun felt so good on her back, and the ocean breeze brought in the relaxing scent of saltwater. Diana understood why anyone was able fall in love with the ocean, after all, she was already starting to herself.

_‘Viroids are infectious agents that consist of one naked RNA without any protective layer such as a protein coat. Viroids infect plants (but no other forms of life) and are replicated at the expense of the host cell.’_

“Hey!” Akko plopped a backpack and a long, skinny pack next to Diana before stretching herself out in the sun. “Ah man, what a beautiful day. The forecast said a storm might pass over today, so I’m glad we got to come out here.”

Diana didn’t even mind being interrupted. In fact, she was about to agree to the sentiment, but when she looked up, a lump grew in the back of her throat as she watched Akko strip off her clothes. Diana had taken the liberty of changing in the bathroom, and she wasn’t aware that Akko was wearing her bikini underneath that flannel or those stupidly short shorts. She turned away and tried to focus on her textbook, but she couldn’t help but peek a little as Akko unbuttoned those shorts and let them slip down tanned, muscular legs. Her eyes watched as the shorts pooled at Akko’s feet, and Akko’s hands moved up to unbutton the loose flannel from top to bottom. Akko was unbelievably attractive, and the attraction only continued to grow as Diana got to know her more. It was clear she was smart, adorably dorky, and paired with that kind of body, it was almost unbelievable.

“Did you bring sunscreen, Diana?” Akko asked, slipping her flannel back and down her arms, revealing the tattoo that trailed down her ribs and across her back. “You’re looking a little red.”

Diana sucked in a deep breath and did her best to smile. “I didn’t. But the sun today isn’t bad enough to burn me.”

Akko folded her clothes neatly before plopping down on the sand, ruffling through her bag. “Mmkay. Well if you need it, I can run back home to grab some. I don’t live far from here.”

Diana just nodded her head and continued to read her textbook.

_‘Viroids are infectious agents that consist of one naked RNA without any protective layer such as a protein coat. Viroids infect plants (but no other forms of life) and are replicated at the expense of the host cell.’_

Damn. She was re-reading the same sentences.

“Anyways, I’m gonna go diving for a moment while you study,” Akko continued as she rummaged through the backpack. She pulled out a pair of yellow fins along with goggles and a snorkel. Then, she unzipped the long, skinny bag and pulled out… a spear? “Is that cool with you?”

Diana cocked her head to the side. “What’s that?”

“It’s a spear,” Akko said as she looped a thick rubber band to the end of the metal rod. “We use it to fish underwater.” Diana watched in amazement as Akko inspected the three prong point. “What you do is you wrap the band like this.” Akko placed the rubber band in the junction between her thumb and index finger. “And then you pull up to the rod and grab…” She stretched the band to the center of the rod and gripped the rod. “And then—“

“—And then when you’re underwater, you release your grip, and the tension in the rubber band forces the spear to propel through the water and into the fish,” Diana finished as Akko gently released her grip so the spear wouldn’t go shooting into the air.

“Exactly.” Akko grinned. 

“Do you catch anything?”

“Hardly.” Akko chuckled as she slipped on the fins and threw her hair up in a bun before throwing on the goggles over her forehead. “But it’s cool to see the ocean under the surface.” She adjusted the goggles over her eyes and grinned. “I’ll see you in a few. You’re more than welcomed to hop in when you’re done.”

Diana nodded and watched as Akko awkwardly walked towards the water. The fins were obviously getting in the way, forcing her to have to lift her knees up higher.

_‘Adorable…’_ Diana thought. It was a bit comical that someone who looked as dangerously gorgeous as Akko was so relaxed and actually very dorky. It only made her much more attractive; Diana was happy to be friends with someone so inviting, and she was happy to be around someone who just pulsated with confidence and charisma. It was no wonder that the little boy Akko worked with during college ended up smiling and getting a little better, despite having such a sickness. She wondered why Akko hadn’t continued working on being a physical therapist or an athletic trainer—or anything having to do with helping people recover. It wasn’t that there wasn’t anything wrong with being a bartender. After all, Akko seemed perfectly content with that as well. It was just that… if she was so good at something she was so passionate about, why would she stop?

Once Akko had sunk beneath the surface of the water in the distance, Diana sighed and turned back to her textbooks, continuing to read. So far, in her coursework, virology was her favorite. As morbid as it may sound, learning about how microscopic, parasitic particles of genetic materials could infect and exploit host cells was fascinating. There were so many viruses out there, so many for Diana to study, research, and try her best to cure.

Diana lost herself in her studies, almost instantly too—quicker than any time she was in her home in England, relaxing in her natural environment. Now, here in Hawaii, she had the blue skies, palm trees, black sand, new friends, and new vibes. If anything, she felt compelled to keep running toward her future, like she’d been taking a break her whole life and was only now getting the energy she needed to pursue her dreams.

She pulled out her post-it notes and her favorite ballpoint pen. Diana began expertly taking notes and marking down pertinent information for her upcoming exams. She couldn’t wait till she got into the labs and was able to put the information to use. The wind continued to blow, and the sun continued to shine. She was really on a roll out on the beach studying. She almost didn’t notice the heat on her skin or the stiffness in her shoulders and back. Her constant scribbling was enough to keep her busy as she blew through the chapters of her textbook with ease.

It wasn’t until she felt a light drizzle of water on her back that she recognized the familiar stinging of a sunburn. Diana’s eyes widened, and she almost yelped as the cool water practically steamed on her back.

“Oh sorry, Diana!” She looked to her side and up as Akko undid her bun, letting her hair fall down her shoulders. Water dripped down each strand, and Diana could only guess that the water on her back came from that. 

She tossed her equipment onto the sand and collapsed on the ground next to Diana with a big sigh. “It’s fine. Did you catch anything?” Diana asked curiously.

Akko grinned. “Nah, the water is getting a little rough from the wind. The storm must be rolling in soon. Did you get your studying done?”

Diana peered up at the sky. She could see some dark clouds beginning to roll in, but it hardly looked like it was about to storm. “Should we go already?”

“Hmm…” Akko rolled over on her back and looked at the sky as well. “Up to you,” she said simply. “We get a lot of tropical storms, they’re not bad.”

Diana closed her books and sat up, stretching out her muscles. It wasn’t that she was afraid of storms, in fact, she liked storms and the thunder and lighting. But only when she was at home. In her room. And safe. Not in a car on a wet road where people were unpredictable, or like how her parents were. Diana didn’t really want to leave, the weather was nice for now, and Akko didn’t seem worried—maybe it wouldn’t be bad. A little rain never hurt anybody.

“We can stay, I don’t mind,” Diana answered.

Akko hopped back up to her feet and stood in front of her. “We should jump in for a while then.”

“But you just came out?”

“You can never have too much of the ocean,” Akko said, reaching forward, grabbing Diana’s hands, and pulling her up to her feet. 

She smiled and willingly let Akko keep hold of her hands as she made the few steps into the chilly, blue waters. The heat on her skin instantly cooled, only slightly stinging her back as she sunk waist-deep beneath the surface. She giggled a bit as the difference in temperatures became apparent on her body. The gravity of the world seemed less apparent as Diana began to tread the waters, fingers hooked on Akko's until a little bit of a current separated them. But that was ok, Diana was still close enough to be around her, and that was more than enough. She took a deep breath and dipped her head underwater, drenching her long hair in the cool saltwater, soothing her warm scalp. Her hair would probably be a tangled mess later, but that was nothing a little conditioner couldn’t fix. Diana popped her head out of the water and breathed deeply.

_Wow, that felt amazing…_

Diana wiped the saltwater from her eyes to see Akko smiling at her. “Feel better?” the brunette asked.

With a smile like that on a day like this…? “Definitely.”

They spent the rest of the time swimming until the dark clouds rolled in and the rain started to pour. Akko was amazed that Diana could hold her breath underwater for a very long time. Diana felt like she was a little girl experiencing the ocean for the first time. They splashed and pushed each other around in the water, and at one point, Akko even picked her up and tossed her in the water. Diana laughed, squealed, and smiled. She’d never had so much fun in her entire life. Even when the rain started to pour and a deep rumbling could be heard in the distance, any fears of a storm couldn’t faze Diana.

And then Akko shouted, “Your books!”

That was the first thing Akko said before trying her best to sprint out of the ocean and on to the beach to stuff Diana’s books in her satchel. Diana stared wide-eyed from the water as the rain fell down. In the back of her mind, she still heard Hannah’s voice calling the girl a flirt, but everything that Akko had presented herself to be was anything but that. It was easy to see that Akko was very open to people, that she genuinely cared about the people around her, and that she would go far for people in general. Whether it was helping a little boy become stronger or stuffing thick medical textbooks in a satchel, Diana could appreciate that.

In the time it took to get dried off—to the best of their abilities—and back into Akko’s truck, the storm had worsened. Eventually, they looked at each other and just laughed. It didn’t matter how much they would try to wipe themselves down, they were just going to get coated in the rain anyways. They quickly packed their things and walked side-by-side through the rain. Diana was the first to get into the truck, neatly wrapping her towel around her so as to not get Akko’s truck seats wet. Akko was next after she threw her fishing gear in the back. The two sighed and sat in the warmth of the truck for a while in silence; their day together seemed to be coming to an end.

“I can take you home if you want?” Akko looked over at her with a sympathetic smile. Diana would have agreed, but the sounds of rain drowned into her mind and increased a bit of her anxiety regarding driving during storms. Either way, as comfortable as Diana felt around Akko, she wasn’t ready to show silly vulnerability when it came to driving through a storm. She was about to agree to Akko taking her home when... “Or… you can come over to my place? I-if you want…”

Diana quickly glanced over to Akko, who stared straight ahead with a nervous-looking smile. She could see a bit of a red tinge on her face—probably from being out in the sun all day—and it seemed like she was gripping her steering wheel rather tightly. Maybe Akko also was a little anxious about driving in this weather.

Diana was ready to force out a smile and agree to being taken home to study a bit more—she did need to take a few more notes and cover a couple more topics… but she could do that later or tomorrow. She was farther ahead than she had anticipated anyways, she could spare a little more time with Akko. The smile came a bit easier to her face, despite being in a storm, and now that she had arrived at her conclusion... “I would love to,” she answered.

Instantly, Akko’s face seemed to light up, and she noticeably relaxed her grip. “Cool…” she said before turning her truck on and pulling out into the road.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Citations for the excerpt on viroids: 
> 
> Clark, David P, Nanette J. Pazdernik, and Michelle R. McGehee. Molecular Biology. , 2019. Print.
> 
> Hiya friends! Sorry being slow on the updates, work has been making it hard to focus given the world situation and all. But I can push though. Hope you like the update, I'm gonna try and keep pushing through and whatnot. Thanks for reading guys. I know I don't reply back to comments, but I really do read them and appreciate them, I'm just awkward. Anyways, I hope ya'll enjoy!


	10. Chapter 10

Akko opened the door to her apartment; it seemed the storm had been worse than she originally thought. Even in her apartment building, she could hear the rain pelting on her window. It definitely had been best to get out of the water and come home. Despite its beauty, the ocean could be dangerous, and if you’re not careful it will drown you with vigor. But the weather was the least of Akko’s worries. She wanted to spend more time with Diana, she was absolutely certain of her decision to invite Diana over, but she clearly didn’t think everything through.

There was nothing fun to do in her apartment, she didn’t have board games or cards. All she ever did was work, surf, maybe goof around in town, and if she was really tired, she’d stay home and hang out with some tv. She had a Wii hooked up, but Diana didn’t seem like the type to play video games.

What was she supposed to do with Diana? Just stare at her?!

Well… If Akko was being honest that didn’t sound so bad, Diana truly was like a work of art.

Akko’s poor little heart almost exploded while swimming around with the pretty blonde. She was just so beautiful, smart and so much fun. Akko couldn’t take it. She was so happy that she’d been in the cool ocean water, because she felt the blush erupting on her cheeks with every little giggle that escaped Diana’s lips. She was crushing pretty hard on this European girl she had met only a few weeks ago, but that’s all it was! It had to be. Diana was smart and beautiful, and probably only here for college. Akko was nothing more than a simple bartender enjoying her life and working hard for herself.

Akko smiled as she let Diana in. “Well this is my apartment.” Akko closed the door behind them once Diana was in. “It’s not a whole lot, but it’s good enough for me.”

“It’s lovely,” Diana replied.

“Thanks!” Akko grinned. “The bathroom is down there if you wanna shower. Kitchen’s here, living room’s there and my room is next to the bathroom.”

“I didn’t bring things to wash up with. Or extra clothing,” Diana sighed as she looked through her satchel.

Akko shrugged. “S’alright. I have some sweats you can use since it’s getting kinda cold. And you can just use my stuff. It’s no big deal.”

Diana paused and seemed to stare at Akko for a bit. Maybe it wasn’t a big European thing to share stuff? She also had this problem in college, where Akko was more than willing to share her things with her teammates or friends, but they seemed a little hesitant about such a gesture. Maybe letting people you’ve only known for a few weeks was a little too far? But that was just the way that Akko was brought up.

“Thank you, Akko.” Diana smiled. “I really appreciate that.”

Akko quickly looked away and did her best to laugh off her blush. “No problem!” she yelled a little too loudly.

Smooth Akko, really smooth.

“Oh! And who is this? I didn’t know you had a cat?”

_ ‘Cat?’ _

Akko turned around to see Diana crouching down on the ground as Mayhem rounded the corner from her room. The lazy black cat walked down the hallway and plopped himself at Diana’s feet and rolled over to show his belly. Diana giggled and proceeded to scratch the top of his head.

“Ohhhh sweet boy,” Diana cooed as Mayhem began to purr.

Akko had to laugh. “That’s Mayhem,” Akko said as she crouched down next to Diana and scratched Mayhem’s belly.

“Mayhem?” Diana smiled. “Sounds like he’s a bit of a troublemaker.”

Akko hummed. “He’s actually the neighborhood cat, but he hangs out here more often. Probably because I give him fish and meat. If anything, I’m probably the only one who calls him Mayhem. Hammy for short.”

Mayhem hoped to his feet and nudged his head into Diana’s hand while he flicked his tail in front of Akko’s face. Diana laughed. “I think it’s a fitting name.”

They spent a few more seconds lavishing the cat with attention, until Diana stood up and stretched her legs a bit.

“Would you mind if I showered now?”

“Yeah! Sure, no problem! I’ll go right after you.”

Akko sat on one of the kitchen barstools to not get her couch wet, while Diana went into the bathroom. When she heard the shower turn on, Akko went into her room and grabbed sweatpants and one of her old soccer shirts. She knocked three times on the door. “I’m gonna leave it on the sink counter, is that cool?”

“That’s fine,” Diana called out.

Akko gulped. It’s not like she hadn’t seen women naked before, and it’s not like she even was going to see Diana naked at all! If she were being honest, Akko didn’t have much of a libido nowadays considering all she did was work, but she really hoped she wasn’t about to see Diana naked because that would be pretty awkward considering they hadn’t known each other long. They weren’t even at the level of friendship where they could insult each other and still be friends. Akko decided to just suck it up and stop overthinking and making herself feel weird. She opened the door and only stuck her hand in, tossing the clothes on the sink counter and closing the door behind her. She really couldn’t wait for her turn to shower.

The storm didn’t look like it was letting up soon, so she decided that maybe it would be best to cook some food till the storm blew away. It might have been a little early for dinner, but if the power went out, then at least they wouldn’t worry about it. She wondered what kind of food Diana was into. Akko didn’t know much about English food. Just that they called cookies ‘biscuits’ which was strange to Akko in itself. However, Diana did seem to like spam and poke. So that was a plus. Akko looked around her kitchen and all she had was rice that she made before she left for the beach. She groaned; Akko could just ask Diana what she was feeling for when she’d be out of the shower.

Akko sat back on the chair and watched as Mayhem hopped onto the kitchen counter next to her. “I’m so glad you picked here to hang out tonight.” Akko jokingly admitted to the cat. “That way if I’m boring, you can keep her distracted from me.”

It could have been wishful thinking, but Akko was moved to believe that Mayhem probably did understand her feelings.

“You, my favorite cat, are a godsend.” Akko laughed and scratched the back of the cat’s ear.

She looked in her refrigerator, all she had that were ready to cook was a bag of kalbi, short ribs marinated in a shoyu, some sugar, garlic sesame oil, green onions, and mirin- another name for rice wine.. Akko pulled them out. They had been in her fridge since this morning, so they were fully prepared to be cooked. It probably wouldn’t be anything too out of the ordinary for Diana. The marinade might have been a flavor she’d never tried before, but it was just beef cut in a different style.

Akko took out a pan and put a little oil on it, excited to be able to cook for Diana. In Hawaii, the first thing people will ask you is if you’re hungry, or if you’ve eaten yet. The sharing of food is important in Hawaiian culture, and although Akko was not Hawaiian, she grew up here and with the culture. She didn’t get to ask Diana before cooking this time, but it wasn’t a big deal. If Diana wasn’t hungry now, then that was fine, she could take food with her if she wanted, or maybe if Diana got hungry later, she could just make a plate.

When the oil was hot enough, Akko laid down two slices of beef and took a deep breath. She loved the smell of marinated beef sizzling on a hot pan, her mouth was already watering as the scent of garlic and the sweet mirin tickled her nose. Oil popped uncontrollably and Akko should have known better than to cook without a shirt on, because the tiniest drop of oil splashed on her skin.

“Ah!” Akko quickly backed away from the stove as she inhaled sharply through her teeth. She quickly looked down to her stomach and just wiped away the drop of oil. No big deal, it just initially stings at first.

“Are you ok?”

Akko quickly looked up to see Diana staring at her with wide blue eyes and her hair wrapped in a towel. “H-Hey! Sorry… About that…”

Akko considered herself lucky being able to continue that sentence considering how Diana looked. Her blonde hair was wrapped in a towel and she wore loose pajamas in the middle of Akko’s living room. Akko was sure that Diana could overshadow any supermodel on a runway. She could smell the perfume of her coconut shampoo and a little bit of her vanilla essence body wash, but there was no way those scents smelled that good on Akko, because no one ever complimented her about that. Diana was wearing her clothes and her scent. Akko felt her stomach drop just the slightest, there was something about it that made her feel so happy and so scared at the same time.

Diana blinked a few times before showing a sly smile. “Are you sure?” Diana walked around the countertop and looked at Akko. From this view Akko could see clearly into Diana’s blue eyes. She had to remind herself to breathe, otherwise she was sure to drown in the deep blue. Her stomach dropped and there was a bit of a stir in her lower abdomen.

“Umm…” Akko gulped nervously. Now was not the time to be feeling this urge, and especially not with a friend.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah… I’m good! The fire was just a bit too hot.” Akko turned back around and flipped the meat, thankful for the fact that she was cooking, and kalbi didn’t take long to cook. The chills that had run around her body slowly dissipated as she stayed next to the hot stove.

She could hear Diana hum behind her and then softly walk. “Are you hungry?” Akko forced out. She was almost surprised that she could still speak. “I have some rice and I’m cooking some kalbi.”

“Kalbi?” Akko could feel Diana back away, and heard one of the bar stools under the counter slide outt. Mayhem immediately walked in front of Diana, collapsed on the countertop, and stretched out. “Silly cat…” she rolled her eyes and proceeded to rub the black cat’s belly. “What is kalbi?”

“It's just short ribs marinated in a shoyu sugar type of sauce.”

“Shoyu is soy sauce, right?”

“Yup!” Akko grinned happily raising her bag of marinated meat. “Unless you want something else? I don’t have anything thawed so you might have to wait a while, or we could order out if you’d like?”

Diana smiled and closed her eyes taking a small whiff of the grilling meat. “Kalbi sounds wonderful, and I do feel rather hungry.”

“Awesome!” Akko grinned. She took the first couple pieces off of the pan and placed them on a plate. “Help yourself to whatever you want. There’s juice and beer in the fridge, I even have some chips if you wanna much on something if you can’t wait.”

Akko took the first couple pieces off the pan and placed them on a separate plate for them to pick off from and placed a few more pieces. They didn’t need too much, maybe like 6 slices of kalbi would be fine for the two of them, and if they needed more, Akko could just cook more.

“I’m fine.” Diana rested her chin on her hand and watched as Akko cooked. “I’ll get some water later.”

“Later?” Akko questioned.

Diana gave a slight smile. “It seems Mayhem has decided to make himself comfortable on my lap.”

“Pfft!” Akko rolled her eyes and laughed. “I’ll get you a glass. Can’t move a sleeping cat, ya know?”

“It’s the law.” Diana giggled

_ Wow…  _ Akko thought. There was really no reason for Akko to feel so happy hearing Diana say that. It was the nerdiest most cat lady thing that anyone could say, and Akko just could not stop smiling. Akko grabbed a pint glass and filled it before setting it in front of Diana and going back to cooking. They fell into a comfortable silence, which blew Akko’s mind. Her life so far was nothing but noise and filled with constant sound. Being a student athlete threw her into a sort of spotlight. Even in high school and all the way into college. It was always ‘go, go, go’. Even now as a bartender she worked in a loud setting. In a place where people were always talking to her, and calls were being made, and machines always beeping. The only time Akko had some sort of silence was by herself out on the ocean, never with another person.

She didn’t mind this at all. For a moment, all those insecurities of never being a ‘good adult’ had washed away, and she wasn’t even at the beach.

Akko cooked the rest of the kalbi and set it on the plate, she then grabbed another plate as well as silverware and set it in front of Diana. She assumed that Mayhem was still sleeping on Diana’s lap, so Akko grabbed the rice cooker and placed it closer to Diana.

After all, it was the law to not wake up a sleeping cat.

She then proceeded to clean up the kitchen a bit, turning off the stove and stacking the dishes in the sink to soak for a while. When she turned around to look at their spread of food, she noticed a few things missing that would make dinner complete. Going into her refrigerator Akko pulled out a container of tako poke, spicy ahi poke, and some salad she had bought the other day but never ate because Akko almost never ate salad. She laid everything out for Diana and smiled down at her creation, Akko usually never cooked this much, most of her meals were quick and small since she was always on the go, but it felt good to have a big spread of food, and to have someone to cook for.

“Here,” Akko began as she walked out from the kitchen heading towards her room. “I’m gonna go shower, really quick. But you can start eating, I shouldn’t be long.”

Diana cocked her head to the side. “You don’t want to eat first?”

“Nah,” Akko called out from her room, grabbing a pair of boxers and a long sleeve shirt. She rounded the corner out of her room and across to the bathroom. “I feel the salt crusting on my skin already, just go on without me, and I’ll catch up!”

Akko closed the door behind her, stripped herself of her bathing suit, however before climbing into the shower Akko noticed a familiar fluid on her bikini bottom. Her stomach dropped again, and her face felt like it was on fire. Akko quickly balled up the bikini bottom and tossed it in her hamper before climbing into the shower. She, at first, turned it to cold since she really needed to cool off.

_ Unbelievable…  _ She thought as her flustered thoughts and heated skin simmered down.

It had been a while since she’d had much of a libido.

Akko sighed heavily as she turned the shower knob to a much warmer setting and relaxed as the lukewarm water rushed through her hair. Post surf showers were probably one of the best feelings in the world. Akko loved it when her hair and skin felt a little softer and cleaner, she especially loved it when her skin still felt like it was steaming a little from being in the sun for most of her day. She had no idea why; it was just a nice feeling on her skin. People in college often said that Akko felt a little warmer, as if she was like a portable heater. She could feel the cold saltwater falling from her skin and draining off her. While washing her hair she had to take a couple whiffs of her shampoo to remind herself that it was the right one. Still, the soft smell of citrus and vanilla essence straight from the bottle just didn’t match up to the scent that came from Diana.

Once all the saltwater was off of her, and her body was washed to the fullest extent, Akko turned off the water and proceeded to dry off and put on her sleep clothing.

Akko rounded the corner expecting to see Diana maybe sitting on the couch and watching t.v, but she was thoroughly surprised to see her sitting at the table with untouched food in front of her. “You didn’t eat yet?”

Diana looked up from her phone. “I was waiting for you.” She then put her phone down and smiled. “It would be a shame to not eat the food you cooked with you.”

“Awww you didn’t have to.” But nevertheless, Akko grinned and pulled out a chair next to Diana. “But I guess I’m excited to see you try out new foods that you’ve never tasted.”

She grabbed two pieces of kalbi, a scoop of rice, a spoonful of each poke and… Just a little salad. Diana already had kalbi, a stack of salad and some rice, but she seemed to be staring intently at the two containers of poke.

“This is poke, right?” Diana questioned as she looked at them.

Akko grinned and pointed at one of them. “This is tako poke.” She began proudly. “It’s just octopus and it’s marinated in kimchee with some cucumbers and onions. And this one, “Akko pointed to the other container. “Is spicy ahi poke. It’s pretty much the same thing you ate when we went to the gardens a few weeks ago but this is covered in a spicy mayo sauce.”

“What are these little orange balls?”

“Masago” Akko answered while scooping some rice and poke into her mouth. “Little fish eggs.”

Diana hummed and took scoops of both pokes and put them on her plate. Akko smiled, to her, Diana was just fuming with confidence and certainty. Food wise, Boston wasn’t too different in foods, just because it was a different state they were still a part of the United States. Sure, there was a lot of food there that was more authentic than any place Akko could get here, but it’s not like a pizza or hot dog from a different state was going to blow Akko’s mind. Diana, on the other hand, was thousands of miles from home, eating things that she’s probably never even heard of.

“Oh, my goodness, Akko.” Diana said after swallowing a piece of kalbi. “This is delicious.”

“Really!?” Akko smiled brightly.

“Yes!” Diana laughed. “The poke might be a little spicy for me, but everything is delicious!”

Akko sighed in relief, as far as she knew Diana wasn’t a chef or anything, but damn did it feel really good to hear her say that. “Thanks,” Akko replied softly.

Diana smiled. “Thank you for cooking.” And went back to eating.

Akko turned back to her plate and smiled to herself. She wasn’t a big cook herself, but it was no rocket science to make sure a piece of meat was cooked properly for consumption, and for rice all she had to do was measure out some rice and water and throw it in the cooker. But right now, Akko felt like she could cook anything.

* * *

Dinner went by quickly. Diana ate everything on her plate and even asked for a little bit more, something that Akko was more than delighted to accommodate. Diana had insisted on helping clean, since Akko cooked, but Akko wasn’t having any of it. After much bickering and banter, and  _ almost  _ losing to reason, Diana was shooed away to the couch as Akko cleaned.

It was strange.

Akko had lived her life a certain way for so long. It’d been a long time since she had shared a meal with someone like this. Sure, she’d had her friends come over, but this just felt different. It wasn’t a bad thing, quite the contrary, it was fun. She was enjoying herself like this with Diana.

Akko plopped herself next to Diana on the couch, mindful to be at least a seat away so as to not bother Diana, followed by a long heavy sigh. She was happy to have a full stomach tonight and leftovers for tomorrow.

“Thank you for the meal, again,” Diana said, relaxing into the couch. “I’ve never had beef like that before.”

“No problem!” Akko grinned. “I’m really happy you don’t seem to be picky with food, otherwise I’d be at a loss on what to cook for you.”

Diana chuckled. “You don’t have to change anything just for me, I like learning about Hawaii, it’s very different from what I’m used to.”

Akko perked up, she liked travelling and seeing different things in life as well. It was one of the driving forces for her moving to the mainland for college. If Massachusetts was different, despite being just another state, she could only imagine how much different the UK would be compared to Hawaii. But really, knowing just a little bit more of this foreign woman.

“What are you used to?” Akko asked earnestly. “I mean your home and your life, if you don’t mind me asking?

Diana crossed her legs on the couch and looked over at Akko. “It’s not a very long story. To be quite honest I’m a little boring.”

“Boring?” Akko snorted. “No way! You’re from the UK! Have you seen the royal family? Is it really called biscuits other than cookies? Do you like cookies? Or even ice cream? Or-”

Akko was ready to ask a barrage of questions, that is until she saw the look on Diana’s face. Akko was doing the same thing to Diana that people in the mainland did to her. Just asking off handed questions at lightning speed. Akko quickly shut her mouth and sat back. Akko loved talking about her home, but a lot of the times when she would get asked by so many questions, she actually never got the chance to answer them. People would ask her many questions, but oftentimes they would continue talking and would end up starting another conversation, so not only were their questions left unanswered, but Akko was often pushed back to the side.

Akko cleared her throat. “Sorry about that, I just get really excited about this kinda stuff, but you’re just… Interesting.”

Diana smiled. “No, I have not seen the royal family, we do call them biscuits, I love cookies and especially chocolate chip. I don’t eat ice cream often, but I won’t say no to a few scoops of strawberry ice cream.”

A warm feeling filled Akko’s chest as a feeling that was warmer than the sun on her skin. It was silly, because Diana didn’t do anything but answer the questions that she had blabbered. Maybe it was just being acknowledged that meant something. Or maybe it was because these were the important things that Akko wanted to know about Diana. She realized she didn’t care much about life in the UK, but just Diana’s life, and things that made Diana who she was.

“Anyways,” Diana continued. “I grew up near a city called Leeds with my aunt and cousins, so this small community is relatively new to me. I’m used to a much busier setting.”

Akko cocked her head to the side. “Your aunt and your cousins? Why them?”

Diana remained quiet for a few seconds; her eyes quickly darted outside towards the torrential storm. “My parents…” Diana began. “Actually, died in a car accident when I was 10.” She admitted.

Akko’s mouth dropped and her eyes widened. “I-“ Dammit, of course Akko would screw this up. “I’m so sorry, I didn’-“

Diana reached forward and put her hand on Akko’s. “It’s ok,” she said. “You didn’t know.”

Akko felt like she was going to cry, Diana seemed nothing less than perfect. Akko expected that Diana had a relatively perfect life, she was smart, beautiful, kind, and brave, losing her parents at a young age was the last thing she would have expected for her.

“It doesn’t hurt as much anymore.” Diana admitted, rubbing her thumb across the back of Akko’s hand. “I miss them and love them dearly. Believe me, I was a wreck for a few years, but I’m better now. Although I wish I could share it with them, I’ve had a nice life.”

Akko looked down at their conjoined hands and couldn’t help but feel a little guilt, not because she had brought up an awful thing in Diana’s life, but that she had done so and Diana was now consoling her, and telling her to relax.

“Still…” Akko sighed. “I’m sorry for your loss.”

“Thank you.” Diana said with a reassuring smile. “I really appreciate that.”

Diana gave one more squeeze around Akko’s hands before pulling away and leaning back against the couch. Akko leaned back too, a bit of her guilt washing away as they sat side by side. It wasn’t an awkward silence, but Akko felt the need to change subject. Talking about the death of a friend’s family probably isn’t the right way to go about this.

Diana sighed. “It seems the storm isn’t letting up anytime soon.”

Akko scratched that back of her head and looked out the windows of the living room. Although storms weren’t bad in Hawai’i they could last a whole night. She was more than willing to drive Diana back home, it really wouldn’t be a problem, but the way Diana seemed to cringe and stare outside just was weird.

“You can sleep over if you want,” Akko said, stacking their bowls on the table. She hoped she wasn’t being too forward, if Diana wanted to go back home that was fine, and if Diana wanted to stay that was fine too.

Diana instantly looked at Akko. She seemed to contemplate Akko’s offer for a few moments before looking up towards Akko. “I would,” she replied glancing out the window. “but I have school early tomorrow morning, and I’m not missing class.”

“Pfft!” Akko laid back and giggled. “Of course, you don’t wanna miss class.” She repeated. “I can take you, and then I can just go to the beach right after. B-but if you wanna go back home, I’m ok to drive you! It storms here a lot, so it’s not a big deal! You shoulda seen one time, when there was a hurricane here and I was trying to get home from work, and it was raining so much! I had to-“

Just a small smile. That’s all it took to shut Akko up. “Are you sure you want to wake up early to take me all the way to the university?”

“Yes!” Akko said a little more energetically than she should’ve. “I- uh- I don’t mind at all. We can get breakfast on the way in too if you want?”

“That sounds nice, actually.”

Akko grinned and tugged on Diana’s hands, coaxing the woman to her feet, and began pulling her down the hall. After learning all that from Diana, Akko wanted nothing more than to bring comfort to her in any way she could. Whether that be a big dinner or a better place to sleep other than a couch.

“Here, you can sleep in my bed.” Akko turned the light on in her room. Thankfully she remembered to clean her room a bit this morning before picking up Diana. Her room wasn’t very flashy, a bed, desk, drawers, and a nightstand. Some pictures showing moments of the last 23 years of her life, a giant yin yang tapestry, a few posters or soccer pro players, and a watercolor paint of the map of the world. However, on her bed was Mayhem stretched out right in the middle. Akko chuckled to herself thinking about how Diana was probably going to have to somehow fit around the silly cat.

Diana stopped. “Akko, I can’t possibly sleep in your room, where are you going to sleep?”

“The couch.”

“In  _ your  _ apartment?”

“Yup!”

Diana raised her hands to her face to keep her from laughing too hard. “Akko I can sleep on the couch, this your home.”

“My home, my rules, Cavendish.” Akko crossed her arms over her chest. “Besides you have school tomorrow, you have to be re- Diana?”

Diana was no longer next to her. Akko stepped out from her room to see Diana taking residence up on the couch. Diana looked up at her and gave a playful smile and a small wink before continuing fixing the pillows and stretching out the blankets. Akko pouted but couldn’t help but want to smile at being outsmarted in the simplest way. Not to be out done, Akko took a few steps forward and launched herself onto the couch.

She heard a short yelp from Diana and an “Akko?!”

Blankets tangled around them and pillows rolled off the side of the couch. “I win!” Akko declared triumphantly. 

She wanted to gloat over her athleticism and boot Diana to the bed for a better night’s rest to be ready for school tomorrow, but it didn’t take long for Akko to finally realize their position. Akko’s mood quickly shifted from celebration to a nervous wreck. She was overheating, yet frozen in place as she laid comfortably over Diana. Now that she was up close, she could see that maybe Diana’s sunburn might have been a little worse than she thought, because Diana’s face seemed even redder than before.

“I-umm…” Diana’s eyes darted around the room before finally looking off to the side and smiling. “Could you, get off me?” she asked.

“Sorry!” Akko immediately backtracked and quickly crawled back and sat at the other end of the couch. “I was just joking around! I didn’t-“

Akko didn’t even get a chance to finish her sentence or even react before a pillow was thrown right into her face, followed by a cute giggle. “If you’re really set on kicking me off this couch, then you should be prepared for a challenge.”

“Tell ya what,” Akko grinned and pulled out her remote. She had a smart tv that her parents left behind before going off to travel the world and be free of children. “I got Netflix, I got Hulu, and a whole lotta movie and shows to choose from. First to yawn has to be booted to the bed.”

It was childish, but Akko just wanted Diana to be as comfortable as possible, after all Diana had school, medical school at that, while Akko only had to work tomorrow evening. She could wake up early, drop Diana off and then come back home for a nap before work. No big deal. Diana frowned, but seemed to think about the challenge. Akko got up and shut off all the lights in the apartment and made sure the door was locked. Knowing that she was a great academic student and probably wouldn’t be up to the challenge, Akko knew this was going to be sure way to wi-

“Alright.”

_ ‘What?’ _

“What?” Akko’s eyes widened.

Diana moved the pillows and blankets around them and relaxed back. “I said alright.” She repeated. “I may not be very sporty, but that doesn’t mean I’m not competitive.”

Once again, Akko shouldn’t have been so happy or surprised to hear that from Diana, but she was. “Fine, have it your way.”

Akko turned on the tv and selected the first movie.  _ The Godfather.  _ Her favorite, but not necessarily the most action-y to most people. As far as she knew, most of her friends would fall asleep watching this movie. She settled next to Diana and shared a blanket with her. However, this would be the first of many. As the hours passed and they took turns choosing the next movie, and the storm was over, not one yawn was heard from the two of them. Akko was beginning to worry that she was actually going to lose this challenge, the body heat shared between the two under the blanket made Akko feel incredibly serene, and impossibly comfortable. This was way better than her bed could ever make her feel. Her eyelids began to feel heavy, and she could feel the yawn bubbling in the back of her throat. Sleep sounded wonderful at this very moment. 

A weight slumped against her, hair tickled at her collar bone, and the scent of vanilla and citrus once again filled her nostrils. When Akko looked to the side, she saw Diana sleeping against her, Akko didn’t even notice that they had scooched so close together in these last few hours. She wanted to carry Diana to her bed. Akko was sure she could do it, but the moment she shifted a bit she heard Diana mumble incoherently, but clearly annoyed by the slight change. Akko sighed, another warmth pooling in her stomach, but softer this time. More like butterflies rather than cutting knives. 

She just couldn’t. Plus, the fatigue was getting to her. She probably couldn’t even have dragged herself to her own bed had she tried. Instead, Akko adjusted a bit, sinking just a bit lower so that Diana was more at an angle other than just her neck. She also meant to turn off the tv, as electricity wasn’t cheap, but sleep lulled Akko faster than she could reach the remote. She let out one last yawn, conceding to Diana. But Akko couldn’t help but feel like a winner as she drifted along with Diana to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiya! Sorry it's been a hot minute, the world is whack right now, and other things need to be done. Hopefully ya'll haven't dropped me yet. ^^;
> 
> I'm hopin to get back into the groove of writing soon to get these updates out! And I hope everyone is still makin' it through out this year. 2020 has been a real wild ride I guess for everyone
> 
> Anyways, ya'll, thank you guys for keepin up with me and reading! I appreciate it for sure!


	11. Chapter 11

Diana’s eyes fluttered open to see sunlight through white curtains poured into the room; it seemed the storm had passed and, in its wake, had left the start of a new day. She was perfectly warm, and impossibly comfortable. It was by far the comfiest couch she’s ever slept on. Her vision hadn’t yet cleared, so Diana relied on her other sense to gently pull out of her drowsy state. Slowly she shifted her limbs and stretched her muscles bit by bit, they were just a bit stiff from playing at the beach with Akko, but nothing like a little shuffling around to rouse them.

She could hear the birds chirping, and a deep thud drumming against her ear. It was a slow, easy rhythm, and was more than calming to easily coax her back into a deep slumber, something she wasn’t totally against. Diana tucked her arms around her pillow and squeezed. She really shouldn’t have stayed up so late with Akko, but she couldn’t deny that spending all that time watching movies was fun. She couldn’t help but stop and watch Akko point out plot holes, or how ‘that’s literally impossible to do in real life’ scenes. She especially liked it when a movie was done, Akko would pause in between films and look to Diana and ask her opinion. Even though the hours passed by and Diana could see the fatigue building in Akko, those crimson eyes never failed to have just a bit of excitement in them every time Akko asked. As if whatever Diana had to say actually meant something to her.

Diana yawned and tried to bury herself deeper into her pillow. She could spare a few more moments relaxing, but much to her dismay her pillow seemed to be shifting out of position. Diana groaned and looked up to see what was the problem, perhaps Mayhem was trying to fit on the pillow with her. She was still very much half asleep, but when her vision cleared and her senses came to be, Diana’s heart began to rapidly beat against her chest. 

She wasn’t squeezing a pillow; she was burying her face into Akko’s chest as she slept soundly. Diana held her breath, and felt her face heat up. She wanted to quickly retreat away and maybe sneak into Akko’s bed, just to make it seem like she had woken up in the middle of the night and went to a proper bed. She wondered how long they'd been sleeping together like this, she knew she had fallen asleep first, Akko must not have fallen asleep too long after that because clearly, she had stayed on the couch with Diana instead of heading to her own bed. This didn’t necessarily feel wrong to Diana, but she feared that it might be a little awkward. She liked Akko. She didn’t want to infringe on Akko’s space, or seem like she was in the way. However, the more she looked at Akko’s peaceful face, the more she wanted to just stay and sleep just a bit longer, after all this was an accident, right? They fell asleep together and just so happened to end up like this.

Diana picked up her phone to see how much time she could waste before having to go to class.

**_07:30!?_ **

Panic struck Diana like a freight train. She immediately launched herself off of Akko and desperately tried to collect her things as she realized that she had thirty minutes left till her class started and was all the way in another town.

She heard a sharp yelp come from Akko and in the corner of her eyes managed to catch Akko falling off of the couch and landing on the ground. She wanted to apologize, but she really needed to wash up a bit, and brush her teeth, and collect her things, she needed to get to campus, and run to her class, and be ready to take notes, and learn!

_‘OH NO, OH NO, OH NO!’_

How could she have been so reckless to forget to set an alarm. That should’ve been the first thing she did when she agreed to stay over for the night!

Diana slammed the bathroom door shut and began washing her face. Thankfully she never cared much for make up so that made mornings easier for her.

“Mmm…” Diana heard a drawn-out sleepy groan from the other side of the door, followed by a light knock. “You good, Diana?”

Diana stopped for a moment and looked around the bathroom. She was making such a huge mess while simultaneously trying to get out to class, that she had actually forgotten about Akko. How she wished she could take her time getting up and shaking off the sleep… “Akko I’m going to be late-“

“JEEZE, DIANA YOU’RE GONNA BE LATE FOR SCHOOL!” Akko suddenly yelled. “Here, I’ll go get your stuff!”

Diana stood still briefly a little shocked. That was something she had not expected, even with how nice and sweet she understood Akko to be, she anticipated maybe a little annoyance from Akko after that rude awakening.

“And don’t worry about the mess, we gotta go!”’

A smile pulled out the corners of her mouth, and even though she was still rushing to get to school, Akko’s words and actions were enough to calm her a bit.

“Hammy! Get outta Diana’s bag!” Akko continued to yell. “Trouble makin’ cat.”

There were very few moments in her life where Diana was ‘running late’, after all, she wasn’t perfect, but most people brushed her concerns off. Telling her that they would get there when they get there, or they would be annoyed, calling her a little high strung, sometimes even scolding her for not being attentive.

Akko on the other hand, joined her in the chaos.

Maybe it wouldn’t always be the best decision to do, but it was a first for Diana. It was nice. Validating.

“Diana, I got your things!” Akko shouted on the other side of the door. “We’ll take the backroads so we don’t get caught in traffic! I’m gonna start my truck, just lock the door when you leave!”

With that, Diana could hear the front door slam shut and then nothing in the apartment. She really should be focusing on getting to class on time, and finishing brushing her teeth, but if she really was about to be late… Then taking a moment to laugh really wasn’t going to hurt. She might as well take whatever enjoyment she could have this morning. After all, having a smile on her face while she stumbled and tripped down the stairs to the parking lot wasn’t going to make her any later to campus.

Even laughing and grinning as Akko apologized profusely for forgetting to set an alarm as they drove through ‘back roads’ that Diana hadn’t seen before. She might have been low on time, but that was fine because she was having some fun. Her smile didn’t even falter as she sprinted across campus and just barely made it to her seat right on time. As it turned out, despite almost being late and almost ruining her perfect attendance it really wasn’t enough to ruin her morning.

 **_0758 Akko Kagari:_ **I swear I’m not texting and driving. I just wanna say I’m sorry again for getting you almost late to class ^^; I should’ve remembered to set an alarm.

Diana was about to hastily text back that she was actually right on time and not to worry, when she received another text from Akko.

 **_0758 Akko Kagari:_ **Oh! I owe you breakfast next time, since we had to miss it this morning. I hope you made it to class on time, and I hope you have a good day at school!

 _‘Breakfast next time, huh?’_ Diana thought reading over the texts. That didn’t sound bad at all.

 **_0759 Diana Cavendish:_ **Thank you, Akko. I hope you have a good day as well.

Diana slipped her phone into her back pocket and smiled. Despite the rude awakening, this turned out to be a not so bad morning. In fact, Diana was sure that even if she was late, the extra fun she had this morning came at no cost and was completely worth it.

\-------

Diana sighed in relief as she walked through her front door. It was an easy day at school, just a lot of note taking and lectures. Even if she still was a little fatigued from staying up so late with Akko, she was still more than capable of performing to the best of her abilities. It also helped that Akko offering a chance for breakfast together was a nice thought throughout her day.

“Diana?” Diana looked towards the living room to see Barbara, Hannah and Amanda watching some sort of cooking show. Both of her roommates looked over their shoulders towards Diana. While Barbara looked concerned, Hannah seemed to just stare. “Where have you been? You didn’t come home after school yesterday?”

“I was spending time wi-“

“Is that Akko’s hoodie?” Amanda interrupted with a sly grin.

Hannah’s eyes widened for a bit and then narrowed. “Why do you have Akko’s hoodie?”

Diana froze, it’s not that she forgot that she was wearing Akko’s college soccer hoodie, it was more of the slight accusatory tone in Hannah’s voice that jarred her. Diana really shouldn’t have been surprised, Hannah was always like this, even when they were younger Hannah could be a little bit aggressive, but never to her own friends. Diana couldn’t quite put her finger on it yet, but she knew for sure that she didn’t appreciate Hannah’s tone.

_‘Really? Not even a hello? Or at least a bit of concern?’_

“Well, good afternoon to you all too.” Diana raised a suspicious brow. “Yes, it is Akko’s hoodie. I went to the beach with her yesterday, and she was kind enough to let me stay over so as to not drive through the storm last night.”

Barbara smiled. “Well that was nice of her! Seems like she got you to school too.”

Hannah frowned. “It’s not like she hasn’t let any of us do that too.”

Still that curt tone. Maybe Hannah was just worried or having a bad day. Either way, Diana was too much in a good mood to create a fuss. If Hannah was really in a sour mood, it was best to let her be for a while and ask later. Either way she had to study, as well as some laundry, since she’s been using Akko’s clothes.

Barbara shared a brief look with Amanda before sighing. “It’s no big deal Hannah, there’s nothing wrong with that, besides, it’s not like you don’t take Amanda’s clothes either.”

“What!?”

“Oh yeah, you still have my clothes here, don’t you?” Amanda smiled.

Diana hasn’t known Amanda for very long and their interactions were very few, but with the way Amanda was looking at Hannah, Diana could tell this kind of smile was only reserved for Hannah. It was like something out of those movies she was watching with Akko last night. It was a little sad to see it happen in real life, right before her eyes.

“I apologize for not letting you know where I was and making you worry, I was having a wonderful time at the beach and hanging out with Akko.”

“Oh! Don’t worry about it.” Barbara waved off. “I’m just glad you’re getting out of your room and having fun for once! Right, Hannah?”

“About damn time.” Hannah sighed and smiled. “Did you have fun? Looks like you might have another sunburn.”

Diana smiled to herself. “I did.”

It was probably the most fun she’s had in a while.

“Then that’s all that matters.” Hannah said and turned around back towards the t.v.

Barbara nodded and turned away as well. Diana stood there for a bit, thankful that her two best friends were her roommates and there’s no one else that she would trust in the world to live with. With that over, she decided to head to her room and settle back down. She needed to relax and to have a moment to herself after the wild ride of a day she had. When Diana made it to her room, she neatly placed her bag on her desk chair and collapsed back on her bed for a moment and collected herself. She pulled off the hoodie and held it above her head to look at it. It was black with red lettering, a picture of a terrier and a soccer ball, and on the back, it said ‘Kagari’ with the number 17.

Akko really was something.

Diana sat back up in bed and set herself back to her desk and began pulling out her books. Her skin was feeling just a bit tight, most likely from the sunburn, but thankfully it wasn’t so bad where it was painful. It would be a while till she would be able to study at the beach again, which was unfortunate, but she needed to buckle down and work. The beach was a great break, but school came first. She was top in her classes, and intended on keeping that way if she was going to have a chance at going for her residency.

She had no reason to be worried about her ambitions, she’s never once lost her rhythm when it came to academics. Sure, people puzzled her every now and then, thus group projects were a bit of trouble for her, but people in her group were either people she trusted or were so intimidated by her that they stayed out of her away. It made passing classes easier, but it did make it harder for her to make friends. For the longest time, her friends only consisted of Hannah and Barbara, but they were all she really needed if she was being honest. Hawaii was beginning to feel like a second home to her thanks to the people she’s met.

But before she could lose herself in her books, Diana decided to send a quick text.

 **_15:34 Diana Cavendish-_ **Thank you again for taking me to school, and for yesterday all together. I had a lot of fun and even managed to get a lot of studying done. I also have your hoodie, I will return it as soon as I can.

She didn’t expect such a speedy reply, but she wasn’t going to complain when she felt her phone buzz right in her hands.

 **_15:34 Akko Kagari-_ **Ah, no worries about the hoodie, you don’t have to rush to return it. But good! I’m glad! You know what that means right?

“Pfft…” Diana rolled her eyes. She wondered what kinds of pretty thoughts would be rolling around in Akko’s mind.

 **_15:34 Diana Cavendish-_ **What exactly does that mean?

She hoped to receive the answer she wanted.

 **_15:35 Akko Kagari-_ **We gotta do it again :D

Diana smiled. That’s exactly what she wanted to hear.

 **_15:35 Diana Cavendish-_ **Unfortunately, I have midterms next week. Maybe sometime the following week?

 **_15:35 Akko Kagari-_ **Perfect, that gives me a whole week to plan something else! See ya!

Diana frowned, as much as she appreciated being taken around, she didn’t need someone to always be paying or doing everything for her. she might have been new to this island, and to this way of life, but she was a fast learner. Besides Diana had her own pride to worry about, since her parents died, she never needed nor asked for help from anyone, it was strange to be taken care of like this. It was nice though, but she was determined to stay focused on her future, as well as repay Akko back for everything.

 **_15:36 Diana Cavendish-_ **See you later, Akko.

Still…

Diana looked at the hoodie next to her.

She really did appreciate Akko for everything. 

* * *

**Sunday night:**

Diana twirled her pen around her thumb and held it firmly in her hand. 

_‘In addition to telomere attraction, activation of certain tumor suppressor genes, particularly those encoded by the CDKN2A locus, also seems to be involved in controlling replicative senescence. The CDKN2A locus encodes two tumor suppressor proteins, expression of one which, known as p16 or INK4a, is correlated with chronologic age in virtually all human and mouse tissues examined.’_

She read aloud to herself.

She was just taking small notes and reviewing through the information of past chapters that seemed pertinent to one of her classes. After this she would move on to the next-

 **_22:01 Akko Kagari-_ **Hey, you studyin’?

Diana blinked a few times at her phone, she hadn’t even realized how late it was. She needed to go to bed to wake up early for her first midterm.

 **_22:03 Diana Cavendish-_ **Just finished some review work, about to head to bed.

Diana closed her books and slipped some papers in her bag so that she could study for a bit in the library after her midterm tomorrow morning.

 **_22:03 Akko Kagari-_ **Shoot! It’s your midterm week isn’t it??? Sorry, I totally forgot about that!

Diana looked at her phone and thought about her coming week. She didn’t necessarily have a hard week ahead of her, just a work heavy week. All together she had three in class midterms, two labs, and two papers to write. She didn’t have to worry about those papers, she had finished writing them the same week her professors had posted them, it was those labs that made her worry a bit. Diana could perform flawlessly on almost anything without even thinking about it, however she was still human and susceptible. She needed to stay focused, especially with those labs. Performing tests on actual anatomical materials was doable, but complex nonetheless. She reviewed the safety procedures over and over as safety while handling potentially toxic or dangerous equipment was her professor’s number one rule.

Diana sighed and continued to put her things away and get ready for bed, she needed to rest. She was brushing her teeth when she remembered she didn’t text Akko back.

‘Sorry’

Diana smiled and typed back.

 **_22:15 Diana Cavendish-_ **You don’t have to apologize, Akko. You haven’t done anything wrong.

 **_22:17 Akko Kagari-_ **I mean, I don’t want to bother you while you’re working. Do you have a midterm tomorrow?

Diana turned off the lights in her room, and pulled back the blankets on her bed and crawled in. The only light remaining in the room was from her phone as she looked at Akko’s message.

 **_22:17 Diana Cavendish-_ **You’re not a bother, but yes, I do have a midterm tomorrow.

 **_22:17 Akko Kagari-_ **Alright, I’ll let you go then. Good night Diana! Good luck tomorrow.

 **_22:18 Diana Cavendish-_ **Thank you, and good night Akko, I’ll see you sometime later.

 **_22:18 Akko Kagari-_ **Of course!

* * *

**_Tuesday_ **

Diana tied her hair up into a ponytail and opened her text books again. She was absolutely drained of energy, thus she decided to sit outside and study for her next midterm. She figured since she can’t go to the beach, she would get some sun on the patio of their house. It worked when she went to the beach with Akko and was working a bit now, but still, she had spent the entire test perfectly focused as usual, so she was a little low on energy nonetheless. She had just completed her in class paper tests, and now only had to worry about those labs. She needed to exercise universal precautions when handling and transporting all surgical pathology specimens, even if they were routine specimens, it would be an instant failure if she didn’t pay attention to the operation procedures.

Diana closed her eyes for a brief moment and tried to relax, the best choice was always to be as cautious as ever, but it was important to be prepared with information in the back of her mind. Diana pinched her nose, she was over thinking all of this, she knows the information like that back of her hand.

“Hey you good?” Diana slowly opened her eyes and looked to the patio door frame to see Hannah standing there with a plate of steamed pork buns. There was a particular name that people called it here, but “You’ve been holed up in your room for the past three days, the only time you leave is for school. I’m a little surprised to see you out here.”

“Well, it is midterms week.” Diana replied looking back at her textbooks. “I’ve been studying all this time.”

Hannah sighed and slid the plate of steamed pork buns onto the patio table. “Have you even eaten?”

Not really.

She hasn’t.

And she didn’t think she was going to get caught for it.

Diana hummed. “I had a granola bar and some tea before I left for class.”

Barbara walked in and sat on the stone steps. “That was hours ago. You haven’t changed one bit from when we were younger.”

That was true, old habits were hard to break, but it’s what worked throughout her whole life. Sure, she skipped a few meals here and there, but she succeeded.

“Here, Akko brought some manapua to work today,” Hannah ushered towards the plate. “You should have some, and then maybe we can order out tonight.”

“We doubt you’ll be leaving your room.” Barbara added. “But we can at least make sure you’re eating.”

Diana reached for a bun and took a bite. She loved these things. They were so convenient and delicious. The food in Hawaii was just so wonderful and versatile. Considering it was such a melting pot of people of different cultural backgrounds.

“Thank you,” said after swallowing her food. “That’s very thoughtful of you.”

“In exchange…” Hannah began again. “You’re gonna let loose once you finish your last midterm.”

Diana sighed. “I would prefer to stay home and relax with some tea.”

“Nope.” Barbara shook her head and made her way back into the house. “You’ve already taken a bite out of the manapua.”

Hannah shook her head and smiled. “Plus, Akko will be out with us, I’m sure she’ll be glad to see you.” She said before following Barbara.

Diana looked back down at her notes and then at her phone. She considered messaging Akko all day. Something as simple as a “hi” or “how are you?” but she’s been busy. Diana went back to her books; her mind has been running back and forward between studying and Akko. Diana wasn’t so dense that she didn’t understand why, she knew that she had an attraction to Akko since the moment Akko first took her out. There were a few problems though. One; she didn’t know if Akko was interested in women to begin with. Two; It was hard to read Akko. Under the assumption that Akko was also interested in women, Diana couldn’t quite read if Akko was showing interest in her or if what Hannah had initially told her was true and that Akko treated everyone like this. And three; Diana wasn’t here to spend her time chasing romance.

She was here to learn and be a doctor.

Diana sighed and slid her phone out to the side. She needed to study, however…

She smiled.

Diana wasn’t going to say no to seeing Akko again, romantic or not, Diana liked being around Akko.

* * *

**_Wednesday_ **

Diana was a bit early on campus since her lab wasn’t for another hour, but she felt ready today. She decided to get a better breakfast this morning, and didn’t stay up so late the night before. Diana’s phone buzzed in her hand while she sipped on some coffee at the campus café.

 **_11:12 Unknown Number-_ **Hey, I heard you were coming out with us this this Friday???

Had it been a call, Diana would have ignored it. She usually ignored numbers that she didn’t know, but this person seemed to know her and know her plans for this weekend.

 **_11:12 Diana Cavendish-_ **Who is this? And how did you get my number?

 **_11:12 Unknown Number-_ **Ah come on princess! It’s Amanda! Hans gave me your number

Diana rolled her eyes, but saved the number nonetheless. Diana liked Amanda so far, maybe a bit rude and overly gregarious, but she wasn’t bad. It seemed to be all in good fun.

 **_11:13 Diana Cavendish-_ **I see. In any event, yes, I will be going out this weekend after my last midterm.

 **_11:13 Amanda O’neill-_ **God damn, even through text you speak so properly, I feel like I’m talkin to royalty or somthin

Well, technically Diana’s family did come from nobility, however it’s not like that meant anything in modern day. Plus, Diana really didn’t want to give Amanda any validation to keep calling her a princess.

 **_11:14 Amanda O’neill-_ **Anyways! We’re stoked, be ready ‘cuz we’re gonna have a lotta fun. See ya, princess!

Diana sighed. Maybe she shouldn't have accepted Hannah’s manapua and just skipped another meal.

* * *

**_Friday_ **

It was arguably the easiest midterms week ever. She was pleasantly surprised by how easy of a time she had in comparison to the beginning of the semester when she was a bit more stressed. She was starting to feel like her old self again; taking on work without a problem and flawlessly storing it into her brain.

Diana handed in her last report of her midterms week to her professor with a smile, she was more than confident in herself. Even if she hasn’t been hanging around her friends or Akko, Diana took the liberty of studying outside and taking breaks between subjects to process each one better. Usually Diana would power through each subject consecutively, it was effective and efficient, however it left Diana drained and aching.

The sun was still out, and she could feel a bit of humidity even though the light evening breeze, her midterm was late in the afternoon, and now it was getting into the evening hours. Her new course work would start Monday and then she could focus on preparing for finals. However, she promised to go out tonight, so she might as well gather up some energy to make it through the night.

Diana pulled out her phone to choose some music as she walked home. She was pleasantly surprised to see that Akko had messaged her during her test.

 **_14:30 Akko Kagari-_ ** Hey! I heard you were coming out tonight!

 **_14:36 Akko Kagari-_ ** Oh shoot you’re probably in a midterm right now… Yike

 **_14:36 Akko Kagari-_ ** My bad!

 **_14:36 Akko Kagari-_ ** Text me after!

Diana picked a Hawaiian music playlist that she had started building after listening to Akko’s music several weeks ago. The music was calming, and helped her sleep at night. She then quickly texted Akko back.

 **_16:45 Diana Cavendish-_ ** Yes Akko, you heard correctly, I will be coming out with you all tonight.

 **_16:46 Akko Kagari-_ **Heck yeah! I’ll see you tonight then, see ya!

 **_16:46 Diana Cavendish-_ **I look forward to seeing you as well, Akko.

Diana smiled, slowly her fatigue washing away and a bit of excitement bubbling inside her. It was nice having someone be so excited to see her, she couldn’t help but feel just as excited as Akko seemed to be. She ended up getting home sooner than normal, no doubt due to her excitement.

“Oh good! You’re finally home!” Hannah grinned as she made a suspicious drink. There was a bit of redness on her face, no doubt due to drinking a little. Hannah always got red quickly. “Go get ready we’re going to leave soon.”

She was not surprised to come home and see both Hannah and Barbara already choosing their outfits and already sipping on some alcoholic beverages.

“Already?” Diana raised a brow, it was already early in the evening, Diana’s last lab was late in the afternoon and despite being the first to finish, the lab had taken a few hours. She wanted a few hours to relax for a bit, but it seemed that would have to wait till later.

Barbara twirled in and plucked the drink from the countertop and took a small sip. “We’ll get there before the crowd, that way we can get some time to chat and relax before we really get into it with everyone.”

Diana nodded and went upstairs to change. She decided on a blue flannel and white shorts and a pair of flip flops, or… ‘slippers’ as people in Hawaii called it. Something casual but nice. Even though she was tired, she was excited to go out and see everyone again.

When she came back down stairs, Hannah threw her the keys since they had been drinking. It would have been absolutely irresponsible and wrong to let them drive. While on their way to the bar, Diana briefly wondered how they were all going to get home if they were all going to be drinking, but she assumed Hannah and Barbara had a plan.

\----

Unfortunately, the bar was already bustling when they walked in. It seemed like everyone wanted a drink or several after that midterm week. They found a few seats that were unoccupied and sat down, at first Diana saw a few bartenders that she wasn’t familiar with, and then Akko appeared with three glasses of water.

“Hi there.” Akko placed the glass in front of Diana and smiled brightly as she passed out the rest to Hannah and Barbara. “About time you show up, I was beginning to worry I’d have to drag you out tonight!”

_Dork…_

Diana smiled in return. She wasn’t in her bartender get up like the last time, instead Akko wore light blue skinny jeans and a loose red racer back tank top, with her hair in a half ponytail style. Either way she was adorable. “As am I. I thought you were going to be hanging out with us.”

“I will be, I’ll be getting off shift soon, I only came in since the night shift lead was going to be a little late.”

“Isn’t Lei on tonight?” Hannah asked as she grabbed one of the menus. “She’s never late.”

“She’s helping her grandma get groceries, so since I was in the neighborhood, I’m covering her first hour.” Akko shrugged. “It’s alright, more money to spend with you, right?”

Diana playfully rolled her eyes. “You could save that money; you don’t have to spend it on me.”

“I know, but it’s worth it! In fact I was thin-“

“Yo, Akko!” another bar patron called out from the other side of the bar. Diana watched as Akko briefly frowned but mustered a smile towards the group. “Take shots with us!”

Akko rolled her eyes. “Welp, gotta make money, I’ll be back to make your drinks.” She said before walking over to the other side of the bar.

Diana watched as Akko charmed the other bar patrons with a dazzling smile and a bright personality. Akko rested against the bar top as she leaned in towards one of the patrons as he whispered something in her ear. She giggled. And then grabbed a shot of whatever alcohol they were drinking and took it down with them. Akko then continued to laugh and tease the group, showing off her skills as a bartender while leaving them mesmerized by her beauty and charisma. The bubbling, light feeling in her chest slowly gave way to something a little more on edge, something on par with disappointment, and anxiousness. Diana clenched her hands around the glass of beer.

She was jealous.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yo! Hope everyone is doing well! Once again haven't forgotten about writing. If anything I've been in a great writing groove lately. Sorry it took me so long again, duo posting so far is my biggest regret of 2020 XD Anyways hope ya'll are safe and tryna make it through the dumpster fire that is 2020. Thanks for reading and sticking around with me!
> 
> Citation:  
> Md, Mitchell Richard, et al. Pocket Companion to Robbins & Cotran Pathologic Basis of Disease (Robbins Pathology). 9th ed., Elsevier, 2016.
> 
> Don't forget to cite your sources! Give credit to where it's deserved

**Author's Note:**

> Something a bit lighter. Hopefully I can keep up with two fics. It'll be a nice challenge and change of pace. Anyways lighting struck twice since I was allowed to go home for the holidays. Let me tell ya'll about my world. Hopefully I can make you guys see it. :D


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